


Zoro and the Mask

by duaba



Series: Cogan Reia [1]
Category: One Piece
Genre: Canon, F/M, Haki, Minor Original Character(s), Post Time Skip, Zoro x OC
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-15
Updated: 2016-10-18
Packaged: 2018-05-14 03:25:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 57
Words: 84,038
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5727916
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/duaba/pseuds/duaba
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's the Straw Hats first adventure in the New World and they land on an island where pirates can walk freely without worrying about Navy involvement. It seems to be paradise for everyone...except Zoro. What is this island's problem? What is their issue with bounty hunters? And what is the deal with this masked Know It All?!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is a cross post from FanFiction.net.
> 
> It takes place right after Fishman Island and right before Punk Hazard.

_The land of avoiding swords is a land divided._  
Where pirates are safe,  
_Hunters are killed,_  
_And justice is two-sided._

**Chapter 1 - Setting Sail**

"Robin chwan!"

Zoro's eyes popped open but the rest of his body didn't move as Sanji's sappy love call pierced through the otherwise quiet air. It immediately put him in a bad mood. It was, in his opinion, the worst way to wake up.

It was a typical sunny morning aboard the Thousand Sunny. Typical in that they were adrift out at sea with no clue where they'll be stopping next. Everything was in the hands of the navigator, 'Cat Thief' Nami. To be more specific, it was the Log Pose on her wrist that would decide their fate. It was funny how everything just automatically fell back into place after only a few weeks together even though they've been separated for over two years.

"Robin chwannnn! Your coffee is ready!" Sanji cried, twirling out of the kitchen without spilling a drop from the coffee cup balanced on the plate he was holding with one hand.

Zoro watched lazily as Sanji presented the coffee with a flourish to Robin, who was reading under the shade of one of Nami's tangerine trees. Robin smiled politely while taking the cup. "Thank you, Sanji."

"Hey! Ero-cook, bring me a cup too!" Zoro called out with his hands behind his head, straightening his back a little but still leaning against the base of the mast. There were at times during his training that Zoro had missed even the sound of that perverted chef's voice except now that he actually heard it, the familiar grating sensation went down his spine. The swordsman chalked it up to just how intense Mihawk's training was. It must've driven him to the edge of sanity for him to even think he had remotely missed the Curly Brow.

Usopp, Chopper, and Brook looked up from their card game. They were playing under the other tangerine tree, opposite Robin, each with a plate of half eaten buttered toast beside them. Zoro noticed a couple of hidden cards poked out of Brooke's sleeves but didn't say anything.

Zoro yawned as Sanji turned towards him with fire in his eyes, "The pot is in the kitchen. Pour it yourself, Marimo!"

"Cut it out, guys!" interrupted Nami exasperatedly, walking out of her and Robin's shared quarters and down the stairs, "Please just get along for one day. That's all I ask. Can't you guys do that?"

"No," Zoro answered bluntly.

"Anything for you, Nami-swaaannn!" Sanji cried at the same time, rushing back into the kitchen to grab Nami her breakfast.

Nami had hoped their time apart would actually help them get along when they reunited. Instead everything just picked up where they left off. Sure everyone's appearance had changed and Nami was confident that everyone had grown stronger, herself included, but besides that, it was as if the two years that went by was only just two hours. In a way, it was quite heartwarming to know that her friends hadn't changed and they were still the same people she knew and loved. Still, it would've made her life just a little bit better if that stubborn swordsman and the sappy cook had just gained a little maturity and understanding during their time apart. I guess you can't teach old dogs new tricks, she thought with a sigh. "This is no time to argue. We have to figure out where we have to go next," Nami said placing her hands on her hips and looking around the deck, "Where's Luffy?"

"He's in his spot!" Franky's voice answered overhead from the crow's nest.

"Thank you, Franky!" Nami replied making her way to the Lion's head, where Luffy was snoring loudly.

"Hey, Brooke! You're cheating!" Usopp's voice rang out behind Nami.

"No, I'm not!" Brooke protested.

"Then what's up your sleeve?" Chopper shouted.

"It's private! You should respect my privacy. Children should respect their elders, you know!" Brooke exclaimed.

Nami ignored the commotion and the sounds of fighting behind her and focused her attention on the sleeping captain. "Luffy. Wake up!"

Nami tried poking Luffy's face to get him to wake up but the captain did not budge. Nami got more and more irritated with each poke until finally she grabbed each of his cheeks and pulled outwards as far as she could.

"WAKE UP, YOU IDIOT!" she cried releasing the cheeks and waking up Luffy with the painful snap of their return.

"Okay okay! I'm up!" the rubber man muttered as he rubbed his now-red cheeks.

"Good, because as our captain, you need to decide where we need to go!" Nami said, showing him her Log Pose, their souvenir from Fishman Island.

The three dials were each pointed at different directions. The ones on the side were spinning around rapidly but the one in the middle was pointing North East, unwavering.

Usopp scrambled out of his seating position and ran over to Nami and Luffy. "I vote the middle one!' he yelled, raising his hand up to vote.

"Me too!" Nami nodded energetically.

"But the other two seem to be having more fun," Luffy complained.

"I don't care!" Nami shot back, "We are just starting out in the New World and you just declared war on Big Mom. We need to lay low and play it safe at least for a little while!"

"I agree with Nami," Chopper added still sitting under the tree, concentrating on his cards, with still some toast crumbs on his cheeks, "You lost so much blood on Fishman Island. You need some time to rest."

"I'm fine. I got Jinbei's blood. Just give me some meat and I'll be back to 100%," Luffy said giving a thumbs up and a big smile.

"Actually, we are running a little low on meat. If we can find an island with a marketplace, I can stock up on supplies," chimed in Sanji, lighting up a cigarette from the doorway of the kitchen.

"Oh! If we can get more barrels of cola, that would be super!" Franky called down from his post.

"Low on meat? That's pretty serious," Luffy said solemnly crossing his arms.

Nami punched him in the head and cried, "OUT OF ALL THE REASONS WE SAID, THAT'S THE LEAST SERIOUS!"

Usopp jumped in and held Nami back before she can land another punch and hissed in her ear, "Hey, Nami! Don't hurt him. We need him to agree with us! We need to choose the safe route. SAFE!"

Nami gritted her teeth but Usopp's words hit home. She forced a smile on her face and looked to her captain. "Luffy," she said as she tried not to lose her temper, "Can we please go to the middle one? Since it's the safer one, it means less time for fighting and maybe more time for eating."

Appealing to the Straw Hat's stomach worked."Fine! But the next one we go to will be a fun one!" Luffy relented, placing both hands on his head to shield himself from more blows.

"Everyone, we're going to head North East!" Nami cried, while Luffy inspected his straw hat for damage, frowning at Nami, while she started to bark orders to the rest of the Straw Hats.

* * *

In the distance, about North East of where the Straw Hats were, a masked stranger in a black cloak sat at the edge of a very tall wall. The stone wall was as tall as a mountain and it allowed its occupant to look to the edges of the island but the hooded figure was not interested in that at the moment. Instead, the stranger sat very still, looking out into the sea, as the sun had just finished rising. An armed guard, wearing a green cloak that matched the observer in style, came up from behind. Before he could speak to the one in the black cloak, another guard came to his side to stop him.

"Don't interrupt him," the guard whispered in a low warning, "You're my new partner, aren't you?"

"Yes...This is my first day," the first guard said and then he turned his attention towards the hooded figure again, "What is he doing here? Shouldn't he be with the king?"

His friend shrugged his shoulders. "No one knows. He just comes up here every morning, watching the sun rise. He stares out into the same spot every day like he's waiting for something."

"Waiting for what?"

"I'm not waiting," the hooded figure interjected, causing both guards to jump up. "This is just my favorite part of the day. I can get some thinking done up here."

The guards looked at the back of the cloaked one, not knowing how to react. Suddenly, his tone turned from thoughtful to commanding, "I also like it because the guards are paying attention to their duties so I won't be bothered."

With a small shriek, the two guards hurriedly went back to their post and averted their eyes. "Y-Y-Y-yes, Commander!" they saluted as they directed their gaze to the island below them.

  
  


 


	2. Captain Nero's Orders

The sun was shining brightly and the wind was strong but not overpowering as the Straw Hats made their way closer to their destination. From the observation deck, Usopp could see from his telescope a spot of something in the distance. As they drew closer and closer, Usopp confirmed it was an island surrounded by docks and with a dark shadow looming behind it in the distance.

"Guys! I see it! I see an island!" he called down to the crew.

"What kind of island is it? Is there people?" Nami asked.

"Is there meat?!" Luffy added, salivating up at Usopp.

"How would he be able to see that?" Nami snapped, knocking Luffy on the head again.

"There's definitely people because I can see ports and docks all around the island!" Usopp said, focusing his attention on one of the docks closest to them. His eyes widened as he took in what he saw.

"Oy! G-g-g-g-guys!" He stammered, trembling hard, "Guys, we need to turn back!"

"What? Why?" Nami cried, "What do you see?"

"N-n-n-navy ships! A lot of them!" Usopp forced out, pointing ahead.

"WHAT?!" The Straw Hats gasped.

Just as they all ran towards the edge of the ship to get a closer look, they spot a ship from the other side of the island sailing towards them.

"Oh no! The navy! They spotted us!" Chopper cried, clutching Zoro's head in fear.

Zoro had let him sit on his shoulders to get a better look but now he started to regret his decision.

"It's not the navy!" Usopp said, directing his telescope to the incoming ship, "The sails don't have a navy flag on it!"

"Is it a pirate ship?" Robin called out.

"No, not a pirate ship either. They have a red symbol painted on their flag. It looks like two parallel swords facing away from each other," Usopp described.

"Two swords," Robin repeated to herself, furrowing her eyebrows in thought.

"Do you know what that means?" Brook asked, noticing the look on Robin's face.

"It does sound familiar. Let me think," Robin replied.

"No time to think! It's getting closer!" Usopp cried out hysterically.

The ship drew closer and the Straw Hats readied themselves. Franky pressed his nose to make sure his hair was also in battle mode. Zoro held a tight grip on Shusui and he glared out from his one good eye. It was a little hard to take the swordsman seriously though, as the furry reindeer was still clinging onto his head.

"Oyyyyy!" someone from the strange ship called out, "Are you pirates?"

"YES!" Luffy immediately answered back.

"WHY WOULD YOU ANSWER THAT WITHOUT KNOWING WHO IT IS, LUFFY?" Usopp cried, tears running down his face.

"You're on the wrong side of the island! You need to go to the other side," the same voice called out.

"The other side?" Nami asked in confusion.

"This side is for the Navy ships! You should be on the pirates side! Are you guys trying to commit suicide?!"

"Don't tell me…" Robin gasped as her eyes widened in realization.

"You know where we are, dont you, Robin-san?" Brook asked, who was standing next to her so the only one within ear shot.

Robin leaned forward out the deck and shouted at the incoming ship, "Is this Beffi Island?"

The strange ship now was close enough to the Thousand Sunny for the crew to see who was on board. It was a smaller ship, the size of the Going Merry, with a crew of 10 men on board. The men all wore long hooded red capes tied with black embellishments. The red matched the red on the symbol of the crossed swords. Their capes fluttered in the wind revealing white shirt and white pants underneath. Most of them looked fairly young. All of them were tanned from the sun and had battle scars in various places. Majority of them were toned and muscular but there were a couple that were big and burly. The man speaking to the Straw Hats was in the front. He was the one of the larger framed ones and had long red hair. He was startled by Robin's question, "Yes! This is Beffi Island!"

"Oh good!" Robin sighed with relief, "Yes, we will go to the other side of the island!"

"Can someone tell me what is going on?" Nami cried confused.

"Is there meat on the island?" Luffy asked the man.

"Meat? Yes. We have a lot of restaurants and shops," the man replied taken further back at this question.

"Why did you answer his question but not mine?" Nami shouted raising her fist threateningly to the man.

"I can explain more later but for now you need to change your course and go to the other side of the island before the Navy spots you," the man replied raising his two hands in front of him apologetically, "If you let me come on board, I can help direct you to the right part of the island. It will be just me. The rest of my crew will follow behind on our ship."

"Luffy, you can trust him," Robin said softly directing her gaze at Luffy. The captain scratched his nose and then nodded his head.

"Okay! You can come on board," Robin called out to the ship.

"Okay. Toss me a rope -"

Before the man could even finish his sentence, Luffy extended out his right arm and wrapped it around the man, flinging him towards the Thousand Sunny. The man's crew stood eyes wide and jaws dropped.

"Is that his arm?" one of the members gasped.

"You guys didn't notice their flag?" A gruff voice from the back quipped.

The members turned to face the source. A straggly haired man, the tallest among the group, stood there, arms crossed, and eyes transfixed on the Thousand Sunny. "It's the Straw Hat Pirates and that's their captain, Monkey D. Luffy."

"The Straw Hats" the crew members gasped.

"You call yourself patrolmen? You need be more observant!"

"Sorry, Lieutenant," the men said, stumbling past each other to get into a straight line and saluting him.

"But why did we get orders to retrieve them? This is out of our usual route," One of the patrolmen asked.

"Are you questioning Captain Nero?!" the lieutenant barked back, "Or did you grow even bigger balls and question a Commander's orders?!"

"N-n-n-no, Lieutenant!" the patrolman stammered, "I didn't mean that, I just meant-"

"Just do what we're ordered to do and let's get this ship ready to follow behind theirs! With Captain Nero directing them, we better move fast" their lieutenant barked back.

"Yes, sir!" his crew replied.

* * *

 

On the island, the masked stranger, still by the wall, was on a transponder snail. "Yes, I've sent someone to get the Straw Hats. They'll be here soon. I'll call you when Monkey D. Luffy is safely on the island..."

"What about the rest of his crew?" came a jovial male voice.

"I only promised to bring in Monkey D. Luffy...What happens to the rest of the Straw Hats is entirely dependent on the other one."

"Roronoa Zoro?"

"The Pirate Hunter,"  the masked stranger corrected with menace.

_Catcha_.


	3. Split Island and Origins of Haki

On the Thousand Sunny, the man named Captain Nero was doling orders to the Straw Hats as if they were his own crew.

"You, set the sail," he barked pointing at Franky and then he pointed at Nami, "And you, turn the rudder! Port side!"

"Wait a minute," Nami interjected.

"Who do you think you are? Talking to Nami-swan that way?" Sanji yelled, trying to charge at Captain Nero before being held back by Robin's many arms.

Captain Nero raised his hands up to his chest and smiled apologetically. The red haired man had matching bushy eyebrows that rested on top of his deep set brown eyes. He had stern features which was only accentuated by a deep scar that ran down the left side of his forehead. However, when he smiled, his whole demeanor changed and he even seemed gentle. "Sorry. I'm used to being the captain. Are you the navigator?"

"Y-y-yes," Nami said taken aback by his sudden softened attitude.

"Then please navigate this ship around the western side of the island. Once we get around the wall, head towards the eastern docks and I'll lead you from there," Captain Nero said.

"The wall?" Nami asked.

"You'll know it when you see it."

"Let's just do what he says and get to the island!" Luffy interjected, hopping between his two feet, "There's food on the other side of the island! I'm hungry!"

"Okay, okay!" Nami said giving up and turning her attention to navigating the ship.

With Nami at the helm, the Thousand Sunny turned and started to sail around the island, with the other ship following steadily behind them, as if guarding their backs. As the Navy ships started to get further away, the tension on the Thousand Sunny seemed to decrease as well.

As they got closer to the island, they realized that the shadow looming behind the island wasn't behind the island at all. It was actually a concrete and stone wall in the middle of the island. It reached high into the sky and cut across the island as if splitting it in half from edge to edge. The wall even expanded outwards a few miles past the island and deep into the sea. Because of that, the Thousand Sunny was still pretty far from the island as they sailed around the wall.

"What is this?" Chopper gasped, his head tilted far back to see the top of the wall.

"The land of avoiding swords is a land divided. Where pirates are safe, hunters are killed, and justice is two-sided," Robin recited.

"What did you say?" Chopper asked turning to look at Robin, eyes widening.

"So you know that saying..." Captain Nero mused while he walked towards Robin.

"Yes, I read it in a book," Robin replied.

"Probably one of the books we donated to Ohara," Captain Nero said casually.

Robin's eyes widened as she took a step back away from Captain Nero. The other crew members stopped what they were doing and readied themselves to jump in if she needed protection.

"Don't worry. I know who you are, Nico Robin. I know who you all are and I don't intend to attack you. I am showing you how to get to the island safely, aren't I?" Captain Nero said chuckling while not taking his eyes off of the one nicknamed the Devil Child.

He stepped closer to Robin and she tensed up. He reached out and took her hand in his.

"It is quite an honor to meet you in person," he said bending down and touching his forehead to her hand before releasing it and standing back up, "I sincerely mean you no harm. Our country used to send books over to Ohara. In return, we'd learn from it's great library before the World Government stopped us from any more involvement. We were all saddened by the news when we heard of the decision for the Buster Call."

"Robin, are you okay?" Chopper asked hugging Robin's leg, which seemed to snap Robin out of her daze.

She looked down warmly at Chopper, "Yes, I'm fine, Chopper. Thank you."

She turned to Captain Nero, "Thank you for saying that and you were correct. I did read it in an old book about Beffi Island."

"Ah. That's why you still call it Beffi Island instead of Split Island. That's what everyone calls it nowadays, ever since this wall was built," Captain Nero said nodding at Robin, "Tell me what else you know about this island and I can fill in the blanks."

"I don't know a lot," Robin started, "But I know it's an island of fighters."

"Fighters?" Zoro asked, his interest piqued.

"Fighters?" Usopp wailed, having the exact opposite reaction as the swordsman, "Oh no. My Can't-get-on-this-island Disease is kicking in."

"I think you're getting better," Sanji observed, "Because you didn't feel the symptoms when you saw the marine ships."

"I'm feeling it now, though," Usopp answered. He dramatically threw his arm across his face for emphasis.

"Get back to work, Usopp! We're not quite around the island yet," Nami snapped.

Robin folded her arms across her chest and tried to remember as much as she could. It had been years since she even thought about that book much less read its pages. "This island is known for it's highly trained fighters," she continued slowly, "So much so that the World Government and Navy have a history of recruiting people from Beffi Island. A lot of high ranking officials have made their way up due to their training here. And because of that, they have an unspoken agreement with the island."

"Agreement?" Nami asked.

"Yes, in return for training their marines and recruiting the native, the Navy and World Government stay out of the countries affairs and let them handle criminals and pirates themselves," Robin explained.

"It seems you know a lot about this island," Captain Nero nodded approvingly, "You are a very good anthropologist."

Robin blushed a little in response, "I don't know about this wall though. It was not in my books."

"That's because the wall wasn't built until around 21 years ago, around the time the Great Pirate Era started. No one knows the exact reason why but King Tannenbay suddenly ordered the wall to be built to keep all the pirates on one side and the Navy on the other. It prevented the two from clashing and creating conflict," Captain Nero explained, "Before that, pirates and marines just stayed on their own side of the island and now there's no chance of that at all."

"So pirates are safe on this island?" Usopp exclaimed relieved and recovering from his disease.

"All pirates are considered pardoned for their past crimes on the island as long as they don't commit any _new_ crimes during their stay," Captain Nero replied, giving the emphasis on the latter part of his sentence.

"So as long as we don't break any laws while we are on the islands and as long as we stay clear of the Navy and stay on the pirate side, we'll be treated as civilians," Robin said slowly, while looking over at Zoro.

"Why are you looking at me? I'm not going to wander over to the Navy side," Zoro huffed.

"Someone better stay with Zoro, while we're here," Nami said.

"Oy! I said I won't go to that side!" Zoro protested.

"I'll stay with him. I'll keep a close eye on him," Brook volunteered, "Ah! Even though, I don't have any eyes. Yohohohoho!"

"He might be too much for just Brook. The morimo is too much of an idiot," Sanji said puffing on his cigarette and enjoying the look of frustration on Zoro's face, "I think it's a two man job."

"I'll stay with him too," Chopper said, "I can ride on Zoro's shoulders so he can't lose me."

"Are you guys even listening to me?" Zoro shouted.

"But why would the island welcome pirates?" Sanji asked, changing the subject to end the discussion.

"Well, we don't necessarily welcome them. We just don't see pirates as a threat," Captain Nero said with a puff of pride in his chest, "Our fighters are not just physically strong, we are strong tacticians too. Neighboring countries often come to us for advice and strategy. Our Royal Tactician is smarter than anyone in the Navy and even gets asked to advise the Admiral Sengoku, before he stepped down."

Luffy stiffened at the name and his mind flashed back to the day of Ace's death. "Sengoku…"

Captain Nero raised his two hands to his chests again, "Ah, but we did not take part of the Summit War, if that's what you were wondering, Straw Hat. Due to the nature of our island, we could not pick a side between White Beard and the World Government. Both our Royal Tactician and our King refused to be involved when the Navy asked for their help."

"And the World Government was okay with you saying no?" Robin asked with surprise.

"I guess so because nothing has changed since then on this island. I am only a captain of a patrol ship, so that's all I know. How they convinced the World Government to let them stay neutral is between the King and the World Government," Captain Nero answered.

"I'm sure your island's use of Haki came into play," Robin observed.

"Haki?" Luffy asked, his ears perking up.

"Yes, Beffi Island was where one of the first Haki users were born," Robin said, "And where they studied and discovered the three types of it."

"WHAT?! That means there are some crazy, powerful monsters on the island," Usopp wailed before turning to Nami and grabbing her Log Pose wearing wrist, "The Log Pose lied. This island is dangerous!"

"Sounds like fun," Luffy said, winding his left arm to loosen up his shoulder.

"Oh no you don't. No causing fights or breaking laws. We don't want to give them a reason to arrest us," Nami interjected, shaking off Usopp and grabbing Luffy's left arm mid swing, "I guess someone needs to stay with Luffy too."

"He can come with me," Sanji said reluctantly, "I'll be at the market and checking food stalls. He'll probably stay out of fights if he's busy eating anyways."

"You're going to lose him at the first sight of a woman, ero-cook," Zoro shot back, "You'll need a two-man team too."

"I won't be distracted if Nami-swan or Robin-chwan comes with me," Sanji countered looking lovingly between the girls.

"I'll go with you! I'm super excited to get some cola for Sunny-go anyways," Franky said patting Sanji on the back.

"That settles it! Robin and I can go shopping!" Nami said excitedly as Sanji sent death glares in Franky's direction, while Zoro smirked happily to himself.

"Chopper, I can pick you up some medical books if you want," Robin offered.

"Really? That would be great! Thank you!" Chopper shouted happily.

"Hey, you guys," Captain Nero shouted, bringing their focus back to him, "We're approaching the island. Get ready to pull into the first dock on the right."


	4. Welcome to Split Island

With the Thousand Sunny finally anchored and safely docked on Split Island, the Straw Hats thanked Captain Nero and his crew. Captain Nero gave them directions around the island and the crew set off, with Chopper riding on Zoro's shoulders. The Straw Hats waved back at Captain Nero, who was standing by himself in front of the Thousand Sunny and getting ready to get back onto his own ship.

As they walked down the docks towards the main road, they stared at the different pirate ships they passed. Luffy marvelled at them while Usopp looked nervously around. The Straw Hats were splitting up into three groups. Luffy, Sanji, and Franky were heading towards the food markets. Robin and Nami made the second group with the shopping district as their goal, leaving Zoro, Chopper, Brook and a very reluctant Usopp decided to roam around the island and explore.

As the Straw Hats turned the corner and out of sight, a person in a black hooded robe and white mask came out from where he was hiding and came up to Captain Nero, who saluted the hooded figure. The mask was white but with painted gold flecks and paint strokes around the left eye.

"I've escorted the Straw Hats safely to the island, Commander," Captain Nero reported.

"Very good. Can you confirm that it is Monkey D. Luffy and his crew?" the hooded figure replied, revealing a young voice behind the mask.

No one besides the Royal Family has seen the Commander without his mask but based on the voice and his body size, Nero and the rest of the Beffi Army assumed he was a boy no older than 16. He was by far the youngest to ever enlist in the academy.

There were rumors that the king was involved with his acceptance into the academy but any thoughts of him rising up due to special treatment were quickly squashed due to the Commander’s extraordinary intellect and skill. He excelled through his training and studies and earned his title of Commander in record time without any complaints from his peers. He gained the second title of "Royal Tactician" just a few years back.

The Commander was a legend among the island. The fact that he always wore a mask and kept his identity hidden only fueled everyone’s intrigue.

"Yes, sir," Captain Nero responded, "If you haven't spotted them from the top of the wall and told us to intercept them, the Navy would've had them by now."

"This is one pirate crew we can't afford to fall into the Navy's hands," the Commander said before setting off in the same direction as the Straw Hats.

"Sir. There's something you must know," Captain Nero interjected, stopping the hooded figure, "He is with them too."

"I assumed he would be as he is part of the Straw Hats crew," the Commander replied without looking back at Captain Nero. "Don't worry. If he shows any signs of violence, I'll take him down personally."

* * *

**Robin & Nami**

"It's so nice not being chased by anyone for a change," Nami sighed holding up a green blouse before checking the tag and frowning at the price.

"We can relax and not have to worry about people knowing who we are," Robin agreed, trying on a hat in front of a mirror.

Nami hung the blouse back on the rack and frowned over at Robin. "Although, do you know what the saying means?"

"The one I recited on the ship?" Robin asked.

"Yes," Nami nodded.

"No idea. It was written hundreds of years ago, right after the Blank HIstory. It could just be a silly rhyme made to scare children or it could be a prophecy," Robin explained.

Nami thumbed through a new rack while she listened to Robin. The rack was right in between Nami and Robin, creating a sort of curtain that separated the two. "Prophecy?"

"Yes. Since Beffi has such strong haki users, legend has it that some islanders have such strong observational haki that they can foresee into the future, even going so far as hundreds of years."

Nami instantly shoved the clothes on the rack to the side so she can see Robin. "No way.”

"Some believe that's also why this island has never had their own war. They always managed to avoid it and the only time they fight is to support their allies," Robin said.

"That's so amazing," Nami said with a glint in her eye, "Robin, do you think they have any strong Haki users who can tell my fortune?"

"Maybe. You can ask a local if they have one around here," Robin guessed, "Why?"

"Maybe they can tell me where I can find my next great treasure!" Nami squealed with Bellis in her eyes.

"So by ‘fortune’, you literally meant it," Robin said smiling a little as watched the navigator with amusement.

* * *

  **Luffy, Sanji, and Franky**

"Food! Food! Food!" Luffy chanted as he and his group made their way down the food stalls.

Luffy sniffed the air as the aroma of grilled meats hit his nose. "MEAT!" he cried. He raced to the source, a vendor selling yakitori, with Sanji and Franky running behind him.

"Wait, Luffy!" Sanji shouted pulling a large cart behind him, "I want to pick up some vegetables!"

"Don't worry, Sanji! I'll go with him. You go pick up what you need and meet us at the vendor," Franky called out to Sanji, running after Luffy.

"Vegetables suck!" Luffy yelled before ordering 10 yakitoris to start.

"Thank you! I'll be quick." Sanji shouted at the cyborg before turning around and running over to an old man, the owner of a vegetable stand.

Sanji inspected the vendor's produce carefully and pulled out some coins from his pocket. "How much for your onions?"

"For you, ‘Black Foot’ Sanji, free!" the old man, putting his hands on his waist and beaming down at Sanji.

Sanji nearly dropped the onion he was holding. “What? Why?!”

"Anything for Captain Zeff’s protege," the old man said placing a hand on Sanji's shoulders revealing many cuts and scars on his hands and arms.

"Captain Zeff?" Sanji repeated, "Don't tell me. You are…"

"My name is Bailey, former pirate of the Cook Pirates," the old man said proudly puffing up his chest.

"I thought the whole crew died in the storm?" Sanji asked, staring at the man as if he was a ghost.

"I quit the crew a year after they got into the storm," Bailey explained as a younger man carrying a heavy sack bursted through the door behind the stall.

"Dad, here's some potatoes for today's sale," the young man said lowering the bag and looking up at Sanji, "Hello, what can we get for you? We have some delicious tomatoes. They are very sweet."

Sanji looked at the man and back at Bailey, who smiled proudly at his son, "I was going to be a dad so I quit being a pirate to look after my boy. Captain Zeff understood and even invited us to eat at Baratie when he opened it. By that time, we were all the way here in the New World so we couldn't make it. We heard wonderful reviews of it. You must be a very fine cook."

"You're a cook for Captain Zeff?" Bailey's son exclaimed rushing over to Sanji and shaking his hand, "Here! Have some tomatoes. On the house!"

"I just need onions," Sanji argued feebly as the father and son started loading his cart full of their produce.

The vendors didn’t hear a word of it though and continued to give generous portions of their inventory. "Don't argue and the next time you see Captain Zeff, tell him ol' Bailey says hi!"

"Thank you. This really is too much but I don't really have time to argue. I need to be on my way," Sanji stammered, bracing his legs a little before pulling the cart up and slowly wheeling it towards Franky, who is holding Luffy's extended arm in front of the yakitori stall while the rest of Luffy was stretched five vendors down near a small restaurant selling hamburgers. Bailey and his son waved to Sanji in front of their now empty stall.

"This is so weird," Sanji said after he explained what had happened to Franky and Luffy, while they each ate a bowl of spaghetti, "I can't believe I ran into an old pirate of Owner Zeff's."

"I guess since pirates are welcome here, it's a good place to retire," Franky observed looking down the street, "A lot of these people probably used to be pirates themselves."

"All I know is, the food here is great!" Luffy said in between noisy bites of noodles and meatballs, "They have so many types of food!"

"Everyone on this side of the island probably came over from different parts of the world," Sanji mused, twisting his fork and swirling the noodles around before taking a bite and then punching Luffy in the head, "Don't slurp your food! You're making me lose my appetite."

* * *

High above, the Commander sat watching them on the edge of a building, perched just far enough to not get detected by normal Observational Haki users. 

_Puru-puru-puru-puru-puru._

Swiftly, a transponder snail was pulled out from beneath the black cloak.

Catcha.

"Hello?" came a low drawl followed by a loud bang and a laugh from a second voice.

"Jeffrey-Senpai, this is really good alcohol!" said the second voice.

"Hush. It's Rei calling," responded the first man.

"Dad, the Straw Hats are on the island," the Commander said softly but sternly, "I had Nero dock them at the first port on the east side. Tell uncle that he better take his crew and leave soon before the Straw Hats get to the west side of Pirate Harbor and see his ship."

"Oy-oy-oy, Rei," interrupted the second voice, "You're not gonna come and share a cup of sake with your own uncle?"

"I don't drink," Rei said, "You should leave the kitchen now, Uncle Shanks, and get to your ship. You said you didn't want Luffy to find you yet!"

"Always the logical one in the family," Shanks teased, "It's really a waste for you to be on this island. You should come be the tactician for the Red Hair Pirates!"

"No," Rei replied curtly.

"You’re no fun," Shanks said and Rei could practically see the pout on his face. Then his tone turned serious, “But you should really think about my other suggestion."

"No," Rei stated again.

"Don't push it, Shanks-boy!" Jeffrey barked, taking control back on his transponder snail, "Rei, come back to the palace. You’ve done what your uncle has asked you to do so now have some lunch!"

"Not yet," Rei replied, "I want to keep an eye on the other one."

"The other one?" Shanks asked.

"The Pirate Hunter," Rei said disgustingly, as if the name itself was sour.

"He's part of Luffy's crew now. He's not a bounty hunter anymore," Shanks argued over the phone.

"Never trust a hunter, Uncle," Rei said curtly, "I'll say goodbye now. Sorry I can't see you off. Be safe and leave soon."

With that Rei hung up the snail, tucked it back into the cloak, and set off in the opposite direction of where Luffy was sitting.


	5. Bounty Hunters Are Not Welcomed Here!

****While Luffy was eating and Nami was shopping, Zoro and his group were wandering around the island along the docks. They passed by different pirate ships of various shapes and sizes. There were several red cloaked island officials patrolling the area and keeping an eye on the pirates.  Zoro noticed that the red cloaked guards were all in pairs of two.

"Zoro, how many pirate ships do you think are docked on this island?" Chopper asked from Zoro's shoulders.

"Well, we already passed by 5 and there's at least 5 more in front of us," Brook observed, "And it doesn't seem like we are on the other side of the docks yet, so it could be tens...or hundreds."

"A hundred pirate ships?" Usopp gasped, pushing himself closer to Zoro, "This is so dangerous." 

"Get away from me," Zoro growled, elbowing Usopp to the side as he walked on. He noticed a few food carts along the docks. "Are any of you hungry? There's some food over there."

Chopper stuck his nose in the air and took a few sniffs. His ears perked up and his eyes shined, "I smell cotton candy! Can we go?"

"Sure, sure," Zoro grimaced, "Just don't pull my hair!"

"Sorry!" Chopper said releasing the green tufts from his hooves, "I got too excited."

 "I find cotton candy too sweet," Brook commented, "Although, I don't have a tongue to taste it! Yohohoho. Skull joke!!!"

The rest of the group ignored him. With the help of Chopper’s keen sense of smell, they were able to locate the cotton candy vendor among the busy cluster of food stalls. The vendor was a young woman with a short blonde bob and wore a pink apron in front of a pale yellow dress.. 

"Hello, Miss!" Brook sang out to her, "May I see your pants?"

The woman gasped and took a quick step back from her own cart. 

"Ignore him. What he meant was, ‘Can we have some cotton candy?’" Zoro corrected, shoving Brook out of the way.

The woman gasped again and took retreated even further. She seemed more frightened of Zoro than of the talking skeleton. "Y-y-you're Pirate Hunter Zoro!"

Her cries rang out and the people around them turned to look at them. Some gasped as well at the sight of the green haired swordsman.

"Zoro?" a man in the background whispered to a man next to him, "Did you hear that?"

"Yes, which means the people with him are also part of the Straw Hats," his partner said licking his lips, "We should tell the boss. We can get quite the bounty on them."

"Or...we can capture some of them now and get rewarded from the boss," the first man replied with an evil glint in his eyes, "We just need to figure out which one to take."

The second guy pointed towards Chopper, "Let's take the pet. He's only worth 50 bellis."

"What about the guy next to him?" The first guy said pointing at Usopp, "He doesn't look familiar. Do you think he's a new recruit?"

"Probably, which means he's not that skilled yet," the second guy said licking his lips again, "Yeah, let's take him too. We'll hold them both as ransom for the rest of their crew."

"Now how do we get them separated from Zoro and the Skull King?" the first man asked, scratching his chin.

As if on cue, the cotton candy vendor solved their problem.

"Get away from my stand!" she screamed waving her arms out to create some space between the cart and Zoro, "We don't serve Bounty Hunters here! And take your pervert friend with you!"

"Huh?" Zoro asked raising his eyebrow, "What do you mean by that? I'm not even a bounty hunter anymore! I'm a pirate. A PIRATE!"

Usopp blocked Zoro with his arm, stopping him from getting closer. "Zoro, you and Brook wait on the side. I'll get the cotton candy for Chopper. Let's not cause a scene," he pleaded.

He turned around to face the vendor and gave her an apologetic smile, "Is that okay?"

The vendor relaxed a bit and gave a small smile back. “Yes that is fine. I just don't want them anywhere near my cart."

Zoro lifted Chopper off of his shoulder and put him on the ground, "Fine. We'll be on the side."

"Brook, make sure Zoro doesn't wander off," Chopper warned.

"You can count on me!" Brook cheered. With that, Zoro and Brook turned around and walked back towards the dock. They were very aware that the crowd around them were staring daggers at Zoro.

"Zoro-san," Brook muttered under his breath.

"Ah, I know," Zoro grunted back, "Looks like they really have a thing against bounty hunters."

"Do you remember what Robin-san said on the ship?" Brook prompted, "Where pirates are safe…"

"Yeah, and hunters are killed," Zoro finished, "Looks like you guys can relax but I'll need to be on guard."

They sat down on a bench next to the docks. Brook looked ahead at the ocean in front of them while Zoro kept an eye on Chopper and Usopp.

Back at the cart, Chopper was mesmerized by the vendor. She swirled the cotton candy around a white wooden stick with an expert flourish.

"Usopp! Look! Look!" he said excitedly, looking down into the vat of heated sugar.

"I am looking!" Usopp replied, equally entertained.

"My cotton candy is the best in all of the New World," the cotton candy vendor said proudly, holding up an enormous fluffy pink ball.

"It looks amazing!" Chopper squealed taking it from her and stuffing a large bite into his mouth, "SO FLUFFY!"

"Chopper, let me have a bite!" Usopp shouted, making a grab for the candy. Chopper immediately turned his back, blocking Usopp.

"No," Chopper said in between bites, "Get your own!"

"What? How selfish!" Usopp wailed, "FINE! Can I get another order please?"

"You got it!" the cotton candy vendor said, now in a better mood from the great review she got from her new customer.

The crowd they initially attracted had now gone back to their business. No one was paying attention to the Straw Hats now. As they watched her move around a new stick, Chopper and Usopp did not notice the two pairs of hands reaching for them.

"Sorry, raccoon, you're coming with me!" a gruff voice shouted as his hands clamped down on Chopper's shoulders.

Chopper and Usopp looked back in shock to see two big and dirty looking men sneering down on them. One had a yellow bandana on while the other had green sunglasses. Both were missing some teeth and they were were in desperate need of a shave and shower.

"Get your hands off of them!" Zoro shouted from a distance, his left hand clutching Shusui, and charging towards them.

"Twin Talons Grip!" a voice cried out, stopping Zoro in his tracks.

Suddenly, two heavy, black daggers with chains at each end of them tore across the air. Each of the chains wrapped around an arm from the abductors.

"What?" the yellow bandana man cried, looking down at his chained arm.

Suddenly the two were yanked back and thrown into the air. They landed with a loud thump facedown on the ground. The man in the yellow bandana was knocked out cold but the one in green sunglasses was still conscious but bruised from the impact.

"You bastard," he snarled, pushing himself off the ground.

Before he could get on his feet, his attacker landed on his back and pushed him back down on the ground again.

"1000 to 1," the attacker said softly.

"What?" the green sunglasses man gasped. 

"Out of one thousand fights," his attacker said, "I've killed once. Do you know who that is?"

"I don't care! Get off of me!" The sunglasses man said pushing himself up again. His attacker was light and he thought he could easily shake him off but as soon as he got to his feet, the chain around his arm disengaged and instantly was around his neck. His attacker now stood behind him pulling his head back and slightly choking him.

"I have a message for your boss," his attacker said into his ear.

"He won't let you get away with this," the sunglasses man sneered.

"Tell Tarantula," his attacker continued unfazed, "to disband his group of bounty hunters or I'll see to it personally that he'll end up like his brother

At the mention of his boss' brother, the sunglasses man eyes widened as he realized who his attacker was and the answer to his question.

"C-c-c-commander Rei," he gasped as he shifted his weight so he can turn his neck a bit to see the masked official.

"You are free to go but your friend stays with me," Rei shouted releasing the chain around the man's neck, "Make sure Tarantula gets my message."

The sunglasses man backed away in a haste and abandoned his unconscious friend in the yellow bandana, who laid face down next to Rei’s feet. A pair of Red Cloaks run up to where the Commander stood.

"Commander!" they shouted, saluting him.

"Where have you two been?" Commander Rei asked, his tone stern but calm, "How could you not notice two bounty hunters in broad daylight? How are you patrolling? Do I need to send you back to the academy to brush up on your training?"

"We're sorry, sir. We were trying to keep an eye on Roronoa Zoro," one of the Red Cloaks stammered.

"There are two of you. Do you need two sets of eyes for one person?" Rei argued back, "Why do you think we have the pairing system in place?!"

"We're sorry, sir!" the second Red Cloak answered back.

"Take this man to prison and give him to the jailer. I want answers on the Web Gang," Rei said, tossing the yellow bandana man with one arm towards the two patrolmen as if he weighed nothing. The two Red Cloaks caught the unconscious body but both struggled a little under his weight.

"Y-y-y-yes, sir" they stammered as they slowly lugged the man away from the docks.

Commander Rei touched his mask to make sure that it was not askew and calmly walked towards Chopper and Usopp, who were frozen in fear. The cotton candy vendor was also in shock.

"Oy, Chopper! Usopp!" Zoro called running past Rei and towards the cotton candy cart with Brook behind him, "Are you guys okay?"

"I'm fine!" Chopper gasped, slightly shaken by the sudden turn of events.

"I had it all under control. I was going to stop them except that guy beat me to it," Usopp lied, as he attempted to puff out his chest without trembling.

"Sorry. I should've known you could handle it, Sogeking," Commander Rei said dryly, not changing his casual pace.

The group turned to face this masked character and Zoro reached for his sword.

"H-h-h-how'd you know I was Sogeking?" Usopp asked, his shaking not getting any better.

"I'm a genius," Rei answered matter of factly and then stopped right in front of Chopper, "Sorry to scare you, Reindeer."

"I'm not a raccoon dog! I'm a-,” Chopper corrected instinctively before realizing what Rei had said, "Oh. How'd you know I was a reindeer?"

"I'm a genius," Rei said again.

"DON'T SAY THAT AS IF THAT EXPLAINS EVERYTHING!" Zoro snarled, annoyed at this intruder, "I had it under control. I could've saved them without your help."

"You could, but I was faster," Rei pointed out calmly, "Besides, you would've killed both of them and I needed at least to keep one of them alive so I could get answers."

"C-c-c-c-commander Rei," the cotton candy vendor gasped finally finding her voice, "What are you doing out here?"

"I'm a genius," Rei said back to the cotton candy vendor.

"What's with this guy?" Zoro grumbled, thoroughly annoyed.

"Commander?" Usopp shrieked. 

"Oh, right. I should introduce myself," Rei said finally registering the clueless expression in the Straw Hats' eyes and reaching out a gloved hand to Usopp. "Hello, I'm Commander Rei.”

This was repeated with Brook and Chopper but Rei completely ignored Zoro. “Now that should clear things up.”

"That doesn't clear _anything_ up!" the Straw Hats shouted back.


	6. Chapter 6 - The Day of the Dead

****_ Purupurupurupuru. _

Zoro, Brook, Chopper, and Usopp looked around for the source of the ringing.

_ Purupurupurupuru. _

"Oh, that's mine," Rei said, reaching beneath the cloak and taking out a transponder snail. This one was slightly smaller than the one Shanks had called and the snail had a golden shell on its back.

_ Catcha. _

"Hello. It’s Rei."

"Rei!" came a melodic girl's voice, "Come play!"

Rei's shoulder slumped a little, recognizing the voice immediately, "I'm sorry, Princess Mirabelle. Now is not a good time."

"Princess?" Usopp asked, his ears perking up.

"Princess?" Brook repeated, with hearts in his eyes.

"Social protocol states that it is rude to listen in on someone else's conversation," Rei shot back at the Straw Hats.

"YOU'RE THE ONE WHO TOOK THE PHONE CALL IN FRONT OF US," the Straw Hats shouted back.

"Oh, yes. You are right," Rei said realizing the situation, "Then cover your ears."

"What?!" they shouted angrily.

"Rei~" came the voice from the snail.

"Yes, Princess Mirabelle," Rei said, turning his back on the Straw Hats and lowering his voice a little so they couldn't hear him.

"Come back to the castle and keep me company. I'm bored," the Princess whined.

"I can't. I told you already, I'm busy with business," Rei shot back annoyed at the request.

"Fine, but you should come back to the castle anyways. Father-sama has requested your presence," the Princess said giving up.

"King Tannenbay?" Rei asked, "Why didn't you say so sooner?! I'll come right back."

"It's not that important. He just wants to check in to make sure everything is in order," the Princess said, "You know, for tomorrow."

"Of course, I'll report to him right away," Rei said hanging up the phone and tucking it back into his cloak.

He turned around to see all four Straw Hats hunched over him with their hands cupping their ears, listening in on his conversation.

"Who was that?" Chopper asked with a sly smile.

"Is that your girlfriend?" Usopp teased.

"Of course not! That's ridiculous," Rei said, relieved that the mask hid any signs of embarssment, "Now if you'll excuse me. I need to go back."

"Yes, to your girlfriend~," Brook sang out.

Rei ignored the skeleton and motioned towards two hooded red cloaked patrolmen nearby to come over.

"Please escort the Straw Hats and answer any questions they have. The rest of their crew is in town. You'll find the two women are in the shopping district and the rest are in the food market. Please lead them back to their crew and then bring them to the entrance to Fort Dixon," Rei said matter of factly and then turned to the Straw Hats, "These Red Cloaks will take you to where you want to go."

"Y-y-y-yes, sir" saluted the two Red Cloaks, "But what about Pirate Hunter Zoro?"

Rei looked Zoro up and down and they exchanged warning looks to each other. The swordsman noticed that the commander’s eyes were green. It shined with anger but Zoro noticed that there was also a touch of innocence in them. The commander had said to the bounty hunters earlier that he had only killed one man out of a thousand and Zoro believed that. This was not a killer.

"He's part of the Straw Hats now,” Rei said as he turned his attention back to his men,”So he's no longer considered a Bounty Hunter so you will protect him as well. But…"

"But?" the two Red Cloaks asked.

"If he tries anything or starts any fights, you have my permission to kill him on the spot," Rei finished before running off and back to the castle.

"Wait, wait a minute," one of the Red Cloaks said but it was too late. Rei was already out sight.

The two Red Cloaks shared a look and finally they smiled at the Straw Hats.

"Sorry if that was really confusing," one of them said, "I'm Ben, one of the soldiers in the Royal Army."

"And I'm John," said the other one, "Come, let's reunite with your crew members."

"WAIT A MINUTE!" Zoro exploded, making Ben and John jump back a bit, "WHO WAS THAT GUY? WHO WERE THE OTHER TWO GUYS? WHAT JUST HAPPENED? I WANT ANSWERS!"

Ben and John instinctively reach into their cloaks to arm themselves but before they could do anything else Usopp jumped in between them and Zoro with his arms stretched out.

"Stop! He's not going to fight you," Usopp screamed at Ben and John before turning his head and hissing at Zoro, "They are here to get us back to Luffy! Plus, they're not going to attack us as long as you don't attack them, you blockhead!"

"Who are you calling a blockhead?" Zoro shot back but releasing his hold on his sword and apologizing to Ben and John, "I won't fight you. I promise. I just need answers."

Ben and John relaxed as well and cautiously put their arms back to their side.

"Okay. Well," Ben said scratching his head, "The guy who just left was Commander Rei. He's one of the highest commanders on this island and is the Royal Tactician to the king."

"Him? The Royal Tactician?" Usopp gasped, "The one who advises the Navy as well?"

"Yes, sometimes he does," John said nodding proudly, "He's the youngest Commander we've ever had and the youngest tactician for that matter. He's a genius."

"Genius or not, he's annoying," Zoro snorted.

"You'll have to forgive the Commander," Ben said apologetically, "Everyone here does not like bounty hunters but the Commander especially."

"Yeah, I noticed," Zoro said folding his arms across his chest.

"Come, let's walk and talk at the same time," John suggested motioning for the group to follow him, "We'll take you to the shopping area to meet up with your female crew members."

"Why the hatred towards Bounty Hunters?" Chopper asked.

"Well, if you think about it, if this is the place where pirates are considered okay here, then it's probably a big lure for bounty hunters. They would take advantage of it and try to capture pirates with big bounties while their guard was down," Usopp guessed, "And then take them to the Navy side for their reward."

"That's right," Ben nodded, walking at the back of the group with John at the front.

"So those two guys from earlier, they were bounty hunters?" Usopp asked.

"Yeah. They're part of an underground network of Bounty Hunters we have on this island," John explained, "The Web Gang."

"Commander Rei and the rest of the army have been trying to find their boss, Tarantula, and take the whole gang out," Ben added, "Majority of the bounty hunters on this island are from their group. We've gotten most of them but there are still a few ones out there. Pretty strong ones too. Hopefully, we'll be able to get some answers from the one the Commander captured."

"Is the Web Gang why Commander Rei hates bounty hunters?" Brook asked.

"No one knows why," Ben said shaking his head, "No one knows why he wears that mask all year, either. People usually wear it on the day of the dead but he wears it every day. No one has ever seen his face."

"The day of the dead?" the Straw Hats asked in unison.

"Yes, that's tomorrow. It's a holiday we celebrate on this island," John said enthusiastically, "We put on masks. We have parades and festivals. The king gives a speech and then afterwards we do a minute of silence to remember the fallen."

"We commemorate the dead by celebrating life on their behalf and reminding them we have not taken their sacrifices for granted," Ben explained.

"It's a lot of fun. You guys should stick around and be part of it," John said.

"That does sound like fun," Chopper said, eyes lighting up at the thought of a festival.

"There's probably going to be great music too," Brook sighed dreamily.

"Luffy is going to be excited for the festival. He'll probably want us to stay here one more day," Usopp said.

"I'll drink to that," Zoro grunted, finally cracking a smile, as the Straw Hats and the two Red Cloaks headed into town.


	7. Shanks' Wish for Rei

“I wonder which store Nami and Robin are in?" Chopper asked from Zoro's shoulders.

They had arrived in the shopping district where streets and streets of stores spread out all the way back to the Wall. Merchants and pirates alike came in and out of the shops with bags of merchandise, while pairs of red hooded cloaks patrolled and kept watch. Some of them waved or nodded at Ben and John when they passed by.

"There's so many stores. Where do we start?" Usopp asked, looking around.

"What do you mean that's too high of a discount? That's a great deal! You should take it!" came a shout in the distance.

"I think we found her," Zoro said, making a sharp turn right.

Chopper immediately started tugging on Zoro’s hair as if it were reins. "No, Zoro! The voice came from in front of us! Turn back! Turn back!"

"Ouch! Stop pulling my hair!" Zoro said grimacing in pain to hide the blush rising to his cheeks. He begrudgingly turned back to his original direction.

They followed the sound of the shouts until they arrive at a bookstore with Nami and Robin inside. Robin holding up a small pile of books, while some of her hands sprouted on the ground were carrying more.

"Nami, are you sure Chopper said he wanted that many books? I'm sure we can just pick out some of them," Robin said hesitantly to Nami.

"No, we need to pick a hundred so that we can get a bigger discount!" Nami replied and then turned her attention back to the male cashier, "Right? One hundred books for one hundred bellis! That's a great deal!"

"Oy, Nami! What are you doing?" Zoro snapped, interrupting the owner from arguing back.

"Nami, I don't need that many books," Chopper exclaimed looking at all the medical books Robin held in her hands.

Usopp looked at the stacks and stacks of books that surrounded the two women both on the counter and by their feet. "How did you plan on carrying this all back with you?"

"I was going to ask Zoro or Sanji-kun," Nami said matter-of-factly.

"Don't just assume I'm going to carry all that!" Zoro shouted back.

"We can help carry some, if you'd like," Ben offered.

Nami eyes widened as she realized that Ben and John were there. "Oh no, Red Cloaks. Did you guys get into trouble? Are we under arrest?!"

She grabbed her Clima-Tact and held it closer to her body.

"It's a long story, but they're helping us! They brought us here to find you, Nami-san," Brook said quickly and assuredly.

Nami lowered her weapon and gave them a big smile, "Okay. Thanks for the offer! I'll want two-hundred books then."

Chopper jumped down from Zoro's shoulders. He quickly looked through all the stacks and picked out three books. He placed his selection on the counter. "Nami, I just want these three. Honest. I don't need all the rest."

"And I'll just take these two please," Robin said placing two history books on top of Chopper's stack.

"Fine," Nami grumbled, "Five books for 5 Bellis!"

"How is that fair?" the cashier cried, "Look, since you're friends with the Red Cloaks, I can give you a discount. These five books for 30 Bellis! That's as low as I can go, I swear."

"Deal," Nami said handing over the cash, while everyone else breathed a sigh of relief, "Oh by the way, I heard the Haki users are pretty strong on this island." She leaned across the counter and winked at the cashier, who started to blush a little.

"Y-y-y-yes, there are," he stammered, "What do you want to know, miss?"

"I heard you guys can see far into the future using Observation Haki," Nami said with a twinkle in her eye and leaning a bit further over the counter, putting a bit more pressure on her breasts, "And can even make accurate prophecies."

The cashier's face turned even redder as he nodded his head, "Yes, there are some who can do that."

"Is there anyone in the area? For free? For me?" Nami asked coyly, putting a finger to her lips.

Zoro rolled his eyes and folded his arms over his chest. He was always incredulous at how easy men fall into that debt witch’s trap. _Women_ , he huffed to himself.

The cashier's nose started to bleed. "You can try Madame Cecilia," he said weakly.

"Madame Cecilia?" Nami repeated, standing back up and turning her attention to the Ben and John. "Do you know who that is?"

_Cecilia_ , Robin thought to herself, _why does that name sound so familiar?_

"Yes, we can take you to her, if you want," Ben answered looking worriedly at the cashier, who had sank to the floor when his knees gave out.

"Why are we going there?" Usopp asked.

"Nami wants to see if there's treasure in her future," Robin explained.

"We need to find Luffy and tell him about the Day of the Dead!" Chopper exclaimed.

"The day of the dead?" Nami asked.

"It's a day long festival and it's tomorrow! We should stay!" Chopper said excitedly.

"That does sound like fun," Nami mused before picking up Chopper and putting him back on Zoro's shoulders, "We can tell him after we find Madame Cecilia."

"What?" Chopper complained.

"What if she sees something scary in our future?" Usopp said shuddering as his imagination goes wild with the dangerous possibilities.

"What if she sees something good?" Nami countered, "Like you becoming a warrior god with hundreds of men at your feet, waiting to do your bidding."

"I don't want to be a warrior god," Usopp complained, "I just want to be a brave warrior!"

"Don't you want to know if there's even a chance of that happening?" Nami said.

Usopp thought about it and shook his head, "I'd rather not know."

"Fine, I can just have my fortune told then. You guys can just come with me and then we'll go find Luffy together," Nami said stubbornly, "Lead the way, Red Cloaks!"

"My name is Ben, and this is John," Ben said quickly, "Madame Cecilia's house is actually right outside the food market, so it's on the way."

"Great! Let's go!" Nami said pumping her fist in the air.

Meanwhile, Luffy, Sanji, and Franky were still browsing through the food market, the bottom of the cart slightly bent under the weight of the supplies they've already gotten.

"Who knew people were so generous?" Luffy mused, sitting at the top of the pile.

"Get off the food! The cart is heavy enough as it is with the barrels of cola," Sanji shouted. beads of sweat poured down his face as he pulled the cart.

Franky, who was rolling a barrel of cola in front of him as they walked, called out to Luffy too, "He's right. What if you squash all the food and ruin it with your dirty shoes? We won't be able to eat anything."

With that, Luffy jumped off the cart and patted his rounded belly. "Okay, okay. Where are we off to next?"

"We should probably go back to Sunny-go," Franky said.

Sanji stopped for a moment to wipe the sweat off his forehead with his sleeve. "Agree. We can't really explore more without unloading all of this."

"But we haven't even tried all the food carts yet," Luffy whined.

"Here, I'll go back and unload the cart. Franky, you can stay with Luffy," Sanji said, giving up and turning his cart around.

"What about this barrel?" Franky said gesturing to the one in front of him.

With a swift kick from Sanji, the barrel landed onto the cart with a heavy bang. Nothing was damaged, although the cart was even more curved at the bottom than before.

"I'll take it," Sanji said, his voice slightly strained, "I'll meet up with you guys."

"Okay!" Luffy said waving happily as the cook headed back to the ship. As he turned back, he saw a flash of red hair from the corner of his eyes and froze. Shanks?!, he thought, Shanks is here!

"Luffy?" Franky said, noticing that his captain had stopped dead in his tracks, "Luffy? What's wrong?"

Luffy blinked and stared at the direction of the red hair but there was nothing there. It was just a vacant alley way that led to a dead end. "Nothing, I thought I saw something."

* * *

 At the top of a building, right above the alley way, Shanks breathed a sigh of relief. _Whew_ , he thought, _Rei would kill me if Luffy spotted me after all that trouble I made her go through._

He couldn't resist and took another peak off the side of the building at his protege, who was walking further and further away from him. _He sure has grown,_ Shanks thought proudly before looking around and heading off towards the docks. _Luffy, I leave my niece in your hands. You better take good care of her!_


	8. The King's Warning

King Tannenbay's castle was located smack dab at the top of the Wall. To get to the castle, one must climb up a winding, marble stairwell, that only select few units and personnel were aware of, before being escorted up a lift, guarded by ten highly trained Green Cloaks (one level above the Red Cloaks). The lift takes its occupants to the courtyard at the top of the Wall and that's where the castle sat.

Safely inside the castle walls, Rei walked through the lobby, past the King's throne, and nodded at two Green Cloaks standing guard next to a big wooden door on the right of the majestic hall. Rei nodded to them and they saluted back. Then they opened the door for her. 

Without breaking stride, Rei walked into the room and knelt before King Tannenbay, who was standing behind his desk, shutting the curtains on the large window. With the curtains drawn, the only lights were from the candles flickering along the walls, dancing across the shelves and shelves of books in the King's study.

King Tannenbay was a tall, muscular man. He wore a simple gold crown on top of his cropped, white hair. His beard was trimmed neatly around his face as well. Everything about him seemed precise and neat, right down to his facial structure with angled cheekbones and pointed chin. He looked more like a general than a king, if not for the crown on his head. His lips were straightened in a grim manner but that was balanced out by his gentle, warm brown eyes. He motioned for Rei to rise and for the guard to close the door behind him. 

"No interruptions, please. This is a private meeting," King Tannenbay ordered to the Green Cloaks. His voice was low and stern but never mean or harsh. As soon as the door shut securely behind Rei, he spoke again, "You can remove your mask now."

Rei took off her mask with one hand and pushed down her hood with her other, revealing long red hair tied into a neat braid. She saluted the King and cleared her throat. Lowering her voice to talk on a daily basis was harsh on her vocal cords. She made a mental note to drink some honey water before bed. "Commander Cogan Reia, here to report, Your Majesty."

She used her full name and title only in front of the king, her own father and Shanks. They, along with the rest of the royal family, were the only ones who knew her real name. Even the the High Commanders and the Prime Minister, who knew she was female, did not know her full name. It was to avoid the risk of someone calling out her full name during dangerous and sudden situations. Reia secretly hated that the King came up with that brilliant idea instead of her.

The king studied the young commander's face. He was astounded by how she looked like her mother more and more every day. She had the same soft features, sparkling green eyes, and long red hair. If she smiled, which she never did, she'd smile just like her mother too.

"Have a seat, Rei," he said, calling by her public name as not to get into the habit of using her full name.

Rei took a seat in front of the desk. The king remained standing.

"Preparations are complete for tomorrow, Your Majesty," Rei reported, "The Red Cloaks have been briefed and paired up. They each have their patrol routes and shifts assigned. We also have enough volunteers from Red and Green Cloaks to be on castle duty. We want as many people to enjoy the holiday as we can but the castle will still be secure. The students at the Training Academy are aware they have the day off tomorrow to join in on the celebration but some of them have also expressed interest in joining the tournament on the Navy side. I believe they want to show off their skills to the officers who have decided to stay for the celebration."

"I didn't call you in for a report. I trust you and the other Commanders have everything under control," the King stated, "I asked for you to come here because I know that the "Red Haired" Pirate is on this island and so are the Straw Hats."

"Uncle Shanks will be sailing off soon with his crew so you don't have to worry about him being here," Rei said without blinking. The King was as astute as he was fair and it was hard for him to not notice most of the things that happened in his kingdom.

"That's not the point. You brought him here into the castle," King Tattenbay pointed out without changing his tone or showing signs of anger.

"I can't turn family away," Rei stated, matching the king’s tone down to the stern intonation, "Besides, I escorted him into the castle personally and he came out the same way. No one would ever see him come in."

"But they could have! What if I had Navy personnel in the castle? They could've seen him," The King countered.

“No, Navy personnel has stepped foot in this castle in the past twenty years,” Rei replied immediately.

"It's a risk, Rei, and you know it," the King said, pointing a finger at her, "And so was meeting the Straw Hats."

"That's a risk I'm willing to take. You cannot control me and stop trying to protect me. You are not my father," Rei argued.

"But I am your king," the King shouted finally raising his voice. He took a deep breath and continued back in his normal tone, "And as the king, I am responsible for everything that happens on this island."

Rei remained silent. She never liked being told what she could or could not do but she despised losing her composure even more. She tried to calm her mind and control her emotions. She shifted her gaze to the chess table at the other end of the room. A game, half played, rested on it. More white pieces than black pieces were on the game board. "I'm a genius," Rei said softly.

"I know.”

"I can out think my way out of any situation", Rei continued.

"You have gotten away unscathed from every situation you've encountered so far," the King corrected, "But one day, you're going to be in a situation you can't get out of."

"Is that a prophecy or just a warning?" Rei asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Warning. I've learned to avoid sensing the future until absolutely necessary," the King answered.

"I'm usually ten steps ahead of everyone else and that’s without using any Observational Haki," Rei stated, "And I've yet to meet someone who has stumped me."

"You shouldn't say things like that. It sounds like bragging," the King warned.

"It's the truth," Rei said still staring at the pieces, "I don't lie."

"I know. I'm just telling you what it sounds like.” The king followed Rei’s eyes and noticed what had caught her attention. "I'm close to winning this match, you know."

"You haven't beaten me since you taught me the rules," Rei reminded him.

The king moved over one of the white knights on the game board and took the black rook on the table. Before he could even straighten up and turn to Rei, she called out, "Bishop to your knight. Check."

He smiled a little to himself. _ That cunning kid _ , he thought,  _ She made me think I was winning and I fell for it. I must be getting old to fall for that trick. _

A sudden knock on the door wiped the playful mood completely out of the room. With a flick of her wrists, Rei's mask was back on her face and her hood covered her hair. "Come in," the king commanded as soon as Rei gave him a nod.

A slender young man, with spiky blonde hair and similar crown as King Tannenbay’s entered the room. While the king wore plain clothes, the man was the exact opposite. He had on an ornate purple robe and jeweled rings on each finger.

"Hey, I heard you were back! How's the preparations coming along, Rei-rei?" the young man said slapping Rei on the back.

"Prince Ellis," Rei replied unfazed, "You just missed the report I gave to your father."

"Repeat it for me then," the 18 year old said with a smile that made a lot of girls swoon.

"I do not report to you. I report to the King only," Rei said, being one of the few girls immune to his grin.

"So you keep telling me," Prince Ellis said, his smile unwavering. He sauntered over towards his father, "Are you guys playing chess? Let me have a go! Dad, you're losing right? You usually are. I can help!"

"The game just ended," the King said matter of factly, "Can you tell who won?"

The Prince surveyed the board silently, while the King and Rei stood patiently. After a couple of minutes Prince Ellis hit his fist and exclaimed, "Rei will win in 3 moves."

"Correct," the King said.

"Wasn't that obvious?," Rei said at the same time.

Prince Ellis ran back to Rei's side and put a friendly arm around her shoulder."You don't have to be so harsh on me, Rei-Rei. Not everyone can think as fast as you."

"You're pretty smart too," Rei said, "I thought you'd see it within 10 seconds."

"I did," Prince Ellis admitted, "I just wanted to make you happy by making you feel smart. ‘Cause you're such a cute little genius."

"Compliment me again and I'll kill you," Rei shot back, "You're too soft. You shouldn't worry about my feelings or anyone’s for that matter..."

"And  _ you  _ shouldn’t avoid them," Prince Ellis countered with a flash of his smile to show that she did not hurt his feelings. He started moving towards the door, Rei following suit since his arm was still around his shoulder. "Sorry, Dad, we have to go. Bye for now."

"Why? Where are you going?" King Tannenbay asked.

"Mirabelle asked to see Rei," the prince replied.

"Save me, Your Majesty," Rei hissed at the king as the Prince ushered her out of the room, closing the door behind him.

"Thank you for taking such good care of my children, Commander," the king called out after her with a twinkle in his eyes.


	9. Madame Cecilia’s Prophecy

****“This is the place,” Ben said stopping in front of the garden of a quaint stone cottage, protected by an ornate iron gate, “Madame Cecilia Jolie’s house.”

 _Cecilia Jolie?,_ Robin thought to herself, _I’ve definitely heard that name before!_

“It’s so cute!” Nami squealed, looking at the lush greens and colorful flowers in the garden.

“I wonder if she’s home,” John wondered out loud, mostly to himself.

“There’s smoke coming out of the chimney,” Usopp observed, “So somebody must be.”

“Let’s go knock on the door then!” Nami said putting her two hands on the gate.

Just as she was about to push it open, a raspy woman’s voice called out from the cottage, “No! Don’t do it!”

Nami froze in action. “Excuse me?”

“You heard me. Don’t do it!” replied the voice.

“Madame Cecilia, it’s us. Ben and John,” John quickly shouted out.

“I know it’s you but you still shouldn’t do it!” came the voice.

“Do what?!” Nami asked exasperatedly.  

The door opened and an old woman with flowing silver hair and long blue dress, buttoned up to just under her chin, stood in the doorway with her hands on her hips. “Destroy my garden.

“What?” Nami asked, “We weren’t going to destroy anything. We haven’t even opened the gate yet.”

“Ah, but you were all going to come in at the same time,” Madame Cecilia said pointing a wrinkled finger at Zoro, “This one is going to trample all over my daisies.”

She moved her finger towards Usopp, “You will create havoc on my grass with your shoes.”

She finally moved her finger towards Brooke, “And no, you may not see my pants.”

“I would never ask _you_ that!” Brooke cried horrified at the thought.

“Oh, but you would,” Madame Cecilia said finally pointing a finger to her temple, “I see it and I’m never wrong.”

The Straw Hats turned to look at Brooke disgustingly.

“Guys,” he pleaded, “Believe me. I would never do that.”

“New low, Brooke, new low,” Usopp said while shaking his face.

Madame Cecilia started to return to her house when suddenly Robin recited again:

_The land of avoiding swords is a land divided._

_Where pirates are safe,_

_Hunters are killed,_

_And justice is two-sided._

 Madame Cecilia froze and turned to look at Robin.

“I thought your name sounded familiar,” Robin said smiling, “You wrote _The Past, Present, and Future of Beffi Island_ , did you not? _”_

“You read my book?” Madame Cecilia was astonished. “And remembered enough to recite that passage?”

“I’m Nico Robin, a survivor of Ohara,” Robin said, feeling a little weird that she could say that so openly in this place.

“Okay, what do you want to know?,” Madame Cecilia asked, happy to meet a fan.

 _What a change in attitude,_ Zoro scoffed to himself.

“No, not me,” Robin said pushing Nami forward, “It’s her.”

“Okay then, dearie,” Madame Cecilia said gesturing towards Nami, “I can tell you what you want to know. The rest of you can stay outside.”

“Really?!” Nami said excitedly, pushing open the gate and running in, “Thank you so much!”

“And what are we supposed to do? Just wait?” Zoro asked impatiently.

“Quiet, Swordsman,” Madame Cecilia shot back, “Your time will come.”

“Shut up or I’ll cut you!” Zoro yelled back.

“You might act all tough and jump straight into violence but you’re soft. I don’t need Haki to see that. But...” Madame Cecilia paused and wagged a finger in the swordsman’s direction. “Oh yes, she’ll bring it out of you.”

“Bring what out?” Zoro asked confused.

“She’ll make you become something you never wanted to be,” Madame Cecilia said closing the door behind her, “...and you’re too big of a meathead to figure out what I mean until it’s too late.”

With that the door shut behind her with Nami in the cottage and the rest of the group staring at the closed door, mouth agape.

Back in the cottage, Nami sat at a dining table in the middle of the room. She sipped a cup of tea that Madame Cecilia poured for her. “What’s all the commotion outside? What did I miss?”

“Nothing, your friends were bored,” Madame Cecilia said casually and taking a seat across from her, “So I gave them something to talk about.”

Outside, Nami could hear muffled shouts and talking between the Straw Hats. She could make out only some words like “old hag”, “curse,” and the usual “We’re going to die” cries from Usopp. _What are those dummies up to?_ she thought to herself.

“Now then,” Madame Cecilia said drawing Nami’s focus back to her, “You want to know about treasure.”

“Yes,” Nami said excitedly, “Tell me, am I going to be rich soon?”

“You have wonderful friends. You’ve come across tons of treasure and have spent your share of it,” Madame Cecilia said giving her ominous smile at Nami, “You’re already rich.”

“Rich _er_!” Nami emphasized, “Will I get more treasure? Where should we go next to find it?”

“Yes, you’ll definitely come across more gold and money in your future,” Madame Cecilia said enigmatically.

“But where?” Nami pressed.

“Does it matter? You’re going to go there anyway. Why not just take the course and see where it goes?” Madame Cecilia said, pouring herself a cup of tea.

“Listen, lady, I want to know one thing and one thing only,” Nami demanded, standing up and glaring down at Madame Cecilia, who took a long sip from her own cup of tea, “How and when am I going to get rich?"

“That’s two things, dear,” Madame Cecilia pointed in between her long sips.

The frustrated scream of Nami interrupted the group’s heated discussion of Zoro’s prophecy. Zoro secretly prayed Nami would knock the old hag cold for all the annoyances she’s caused him. Ben and John worried for Nami’s health, as many past visitors have suffered a stroke from Madame Cecilia’s sidestepping answers.

“What is it, Nami?” Usopp cried into the cottage, “Did she see our deaths?! Wait, no! Don’t tell me! It must be bad news. It’s bad, isn’t it?”

There was quiet in the cottage as the rest of the group stood, waiting for any signs of movement or sounds from the cottage. Finally, after a few minutes, the door opened and Nami stood there smiling. She turned to hug Madame Cecilia before she walked out of the cottage.

“Thanks for your help!” she said as she waved good-bye from the gate.

“Anytime, dear, anytime!” Madame Cecilia cheerfully returned the wave, “And tell your captain, that it was the meatballs. He’ll know what I mean.”

Madame Cecilia gave Zoro a little wink, that turned his stomach, before closing the door behind her. Zoro could’ve sworn he heard her mutter, “Poor guy. Won’t even see it coming,” right before the door shut.

“Hey, Nami, what did she tell you?” Usopp asked as soon as Nami was back on their side of the gate.

“She told me there were treasures in the castle and I’m going to take it all!” Nami said triumphantly.

“What?” Ben and John cried, shocked that Madame Cecilia would promise this girl something like that, “That can’t be right.”

Ben looked at John, “Should we alert the king?”

“I’m sure the royal treasury is not that easy to steal from,” John said with as much confidence as he could muster.

“Royal treasury, huh?” Nami asked with her ears perked up, “Can you take me there?”

“Ah! She was listening!” Ben and John cried and they jumped back from Nami.

“We came for the old hag’s prophecy and we got it already,” Zoro interrupted, adjusting Chopper’s weight on his shoulders, “So let’s go find Luffy now. That was our deal.”

“Okay. Madame Cecilia said that I can’t get the treasure until we’re all together anyways,” Nami said, shrugging.

 _We need to warn the king as soon as possible._ Ben and John thought at the same time.

“Okay, let’s go to the food market now to meet up with the rest of your team,” John said a little too cheerfully.

“Actually, Madame Cecilia said they aren’t there anymore,” Nami said.

“What?!” the rest of the group cried.

“Yeah, she said we’d find them with Clayton,” she said to Ben and John, “Do you know what that is?”

“C-c-clayton?” Ben shouted, “Dr. Clayton?! They’re at the hospital?”

“HOSPITAL?!” the Straw Hats cried.

“Luffy’s dead, isn’t he?” Usopp cried, “Or worse. He put someone there and now we’re all in trouble.”

“I doubt it, otherwise Madame Cecilia wouldn’t tell us to relay a message for her,” Robin pointed out.

“Okay let’s go to the hospital,” Zoro said taking off down the road.

“You don’t know where you’re going!” Chopper cried. He pulled back Zoro’s hair and forcing him to stumble backwards into the group.

“Ow ow ow ow!” Zoro snarled as he grabbed the reindeer from his head. He held Chopper up so he could glare at him nose to nose. “Stop. Pulling. My. Hair. I’m not a horse!”

“Sorry,” Chopper squealed.

“I’ll lead the way,” Ben volunteered.

“Thanks. John, can you please go to our boat, the Thousand Sunny? It has a lion in the front and our Straw Hat logo on the sails,” Nami said before anyone could move an inch.

John stopped in his tracks, “Sure but why?”

“Sanji is back on the ship. We need him to meet us at the hospital,” Nami explained.

“Did Madame Cecilia tell you that?” Robin asked.

“Yes, she said,” Nami said putting on her best Madame Cecilia impression, “You’ll find the one with fancy eyebrows back in his kitchen.”


	10. Food Poisoning! Hospital Lock Down!

“Luffy!” the Straw Hats shouted, running through the hospital waiting area, “Franky! Where are you guys?”

“This is a hospital! Please be quiet,” A nurse scolded from the front desk, “People are resting!” 

“Sorry,” Chopper said, apologetically, “We’re just looking for our friends. I believe they’re here. One is a rubber man and the other is a cyborg.”

“Oh, you’re friends with _ him, _ ” the nurse said sympathetically, “You poor things. I’m so sorry to inform you…”

“He’s dead! Isn’t he?” Usopp wailed.

“Luffy!!!” Chopper cried.

“No, he’s not dead,” the nurse quickly rushed to correct the misunderstanding. She spoke in a hushed tone so no other people in the waiting area would hear them, “He has food poisoning and your other friend...the pervert, he’s fine and he’s in there with him.”

“Don’t scare us!” Nami yelled, shaking a fist towards the nurse.

Chopper gaped at the navigator. “Would you really hit a medical professional?!” 

Ben’s gasp interrupted Nami from responding.  “Food poisoning? Here?! Are you sure, Nurse Shiyo?” he hissed.

“Yes,” Nurse Shiyo replied sadly, shaking her head, “Dr. Clayton is in there with him now.”

“Can we go see him?” Chopper asked.

“No, I’m sorry,” Ben said holding up his arm and blocking Chopper from speaking more to the Nurse, “At this point, I’m going to have to ask you all to wait here.”

“Why? It’s just food poisoning!” Nami demanded.

“Shh, not so loud!” Ben said, covering her mouth with his hand and looking worriedly around him. Thankfully, no one seemed to be alerted by Nami’s outburst. 

“Let go of me!” Nami said through his muffled hand.

“Sorry, but I can’t let go until you promise you won’t say the two words again,” Ben said apologetically.

“What? Food Poisoning?” Zoro asked, yawning and stretching out his arms.

“SHHHHH!! YES, THAT!” Ben said looking frantically around again, “I’ll explain, okay? Just please keep it down.”

Nami nodded as the rest gave their permission too.  Ben motioned for them to move towards an empty corner of the waiting room and explained softly, “Food poisoning is very rare on this island. When it does happen, it is treated with a thorough investigation by the royal family.” 

“Why?” Chopper asked.

“It’s because of the current Royal Chef,” Ben sighed.

“The Royal Chef?” the Straw Hats asked.

“Yes, no one knows why but ever since the King hired the current chef, the castle has been ordering bulks of food from the different food stalls in the market,” Ben explained.

“You mean the Royal Chef doesn’t cook?” Nami asked, “That’s ridiculous!”

“Some say it’s because he’s too lazy to cook. Some say it’s because he’s so terrifying even the king is scared to ask anything from him. And some say it’s because the king is addicted to street food and that the chef is just a poor neglected man waiting to show off his skills,” Ben said.

“What does that have to do with food p-” Usopp started to say before Ben shot him a warning look, “Er, I mean, the illness?”

“Well, since the king gets his food from the people, each vendor is checked thoroughly for food and preparation techniques by the Red Cloaks. Any signs of food poisoning could potentially mean an attempt at killing the king,” Ben explained.

“But you can’t possibly check every food vendor every day. You don’t have that many people!” Robin pointed out.

“We don’t check every vendor,” Ben said, “A list is created every morning and given to the food checking unit to the select vendors they are ordering from that day. The vendors don’t know they are picked until the same day.”

“I see, so there can be little time for them to plan the poisoning,” Robin surmised, “But who makes the list?”

“The king’s personal body guard and the highest ranking commander, Commander Doru,” Ben said, “Even the king doesn’t know which vendor is picked.” 

“So it keeps the level of people involved at a minimum to reduce tampering. Genius,” Robin marveled.

“It was one of the many ideas from Commander Rei that has helped this country,” Ben said bursting pride.

“Yeah, yeah,” Zoro said exasperatedly, ‘We get it. He’s a genius. Move on.” 

Usopp raised an eyebrow at the swordsman’s response. People did annoy him easily but it was still rare for someone to get under the swordsman this quickly.

“So why can’t we see Luffy?” Nami asked bringing the subject back to what was important.

“Once the hospital identifies a case of food poisoning, they have to report it and the hospital goes on lock down. No one leaves the hospital and the patient with food poisoning is only allowed to be in the same room as the doctor treating him and anyone who came in with the patient,” Ben said apologetically.

“What?! That means we won’t see Luffy until much later,” Nami said dejectedly.

“We’ll just need to find an inn to stay at,” Zoro said while sitting in the farthest corner of the waiting room and propping his feet up on the seat across from him, “And come get him in the morning.”

“He’s with Franky,” Usopp said reassuredly, “He’ll be fine, Nami.”

“But, that means we won’t be able to get the treasure tonight,” Nami pouted.

_ Is that what you were worried about? _ the rest of the Straw Hats thought to themselves.

“What do we do now?” Usopp asked.

“All we can do is wait until they send over an investigation team and they give us permission to see Straw Hat Luffy,” Ben said.

“And permission for us to leave,” Brook pointed, “Since the hospital is now technically on lockdown.”

“Yes, that’s right,” Ben said taking a seat in one of the waiting chairs, “Your other friend is coming over with John so we have to wait for them anyways. We might as well get comfortable.

“He already is,” Usopp said pointing a thumb at a now napping Zoro. 

\--

Meanwhile in room 102, Luffy was being treated by Dr. Clayton with Franky by his side. Several nurses rushed in and out of the room, alternatively dumping out the contents of the vomit-filled buckets into the large bins marked “BIO-HAZARD”. 

Dr. Clayton was average built. He had a dark blue beard that was combed straight. His hair was combed straight back as well. He wore thick glasses that reflected the light. He stood over Luffy’s bed and wrote things down occasionally on cold, metal clipboard. “Are you sure you don’t want to get your stomach pumped?” the doctor asked Luffy, who was  green in the face and with dozens of buckets next to him.

“I don’t,” Luffy wheezed, pausing to throw up in a newly emptied bucket, “Want a tube shoved down my throat!”

“Now let me ask you, one more time, do you remember what you ate?” Dr. Clayton asked.

“He ate at every food stall, doctor-bro,” Franky answered for his captain, “So it’s hard to remember exactly what.”

Dr. Clayton looked at Franky in shock and horror. “That’s more than a hundred!” 

“I’m a rubber man,” Luffy gasped faintly.

“That’s not a valid reason to eat so much,” Dr. Clayton said throwing his hands up in the air in defeat.

“So what do we do now?” Franky asked.

“He needs to stay here overnight and we’ll watch over him until he gets it all out,” Dr. Clayton said.

“No, I want to leave this place and be with my friends,” Luffy pleaded before turning his body to vomit into one of the buckets.

“You shouldn’t move, Luffy,” Franky argued, “But I will stay here with you. The rest of the crew will need to find a place to stay overnight.” 

“No, I want to leave,” Luffy muttered half heartedly, too weak to really put up a fight.

“The less you move, the faster you’ll get better and you definitely want to feel your best tomorrow,” one of the nurses said encouragingly as she brought back a newly emptied bucket.

“Why?” Luffy asked.

“Tomorrow is the day of the dead!” she said giving Luffy a thumbs up. She continued to explain more about the holiday and the festival the island is preparing for.

“FESTIVAL!” Luffy yelled, jumping up from the bed. He immediately fell back down to vomit more. 

“Luffy, THE SEXY NURSE JUST SAID, you shouldn’t move!” Franky cried out, pinning Luffy back down on the bed, “Just lie back down and think about tomorrow. All the fun, the people, the masks.

“And the king will make his annual speech too!” the nurse added, blushing a little from being referred to as sexy.

“The king,” Dr. Clayton said quietly to himself with a snarl that faded away just as fast as it had appeared.

“Dr. Clayton,” Franky suddenly asked, startling Dr. Clayton, “Do you mind if I stay here and watch over Luffy?”   


“Not at all,” Dr. Clayton said, beads of sweat running down the back of his neck, “In fact, you are actually required to stay here with him as it is required by law for the government to ask you a couple of questions.”

“Are we in super trouble?” Franky asked.

“No, not at all, we just treat food poisoning really seriously here and want to get to the bottom of it before anymore people suffer,” Dr. Clayton said reassuringly, “I have some other patients to attend to I’ll leave you two for a little while but I will be right back!” 

He hurriedly ran out the door before Franky could ask anymore questions. Dr. Clayton ducked into his office, shutting the door behind him and locking it.

_ Thank god,  _ he thought to himself, _ Thank god they didn’t catch my outburst. I need to be calm and composed, even at the mention of the damn king, or else my cover will be blown. _

He took a couple of breaths to calm himself. He instinctively ran a hand across his hair, smoothing it out and making sure none of it was out of place. He looked into a mirror by his desk and adjusted his glasses. _ Should I warn the boss that the Straw Hats are here? _ he wondered,  _ Nah. They’re going to be too distracted by the festival tomorrow anyways to intercept our plans. I’m being too paranoid. I need to compose myself. _

_ Purupurupurupuru. _

A muffled transponder snail ring brought back Dr. Clayton’s attention. He rushed to his desk, unlocked a drawer and pulled out a small black snail.

_ Catcha.  _

“Hello. This is Dr. Clayton.”

“Hey, Doc,” sang a smooth male voice that made the hairs on the back of Clayton’s neck stand up, “I heard there was a case of food poisoning.” 

“Yes, Boss,” Dr. Clayton said quietly so no one outside his office would here, “I just finished treating him and asked him a couple of questions myself.”

“Any way this can get traced back to me?” his boss asked.

“No, not at all. In fact, he ate at every food stall so there’s no way anyone can tell which vendor got him sick,” Dr. Clayton said reassuringly.

“Good. Very good,” the voice at the other end said, “How about the other thing? Do you have an update for me?” 

“Yes, Boss,” Dr. Clayton said in a whisper so no one outside his office would here, “The shipment is being prepared right now and will be there by tomorrow morning.”

“Good,” said his Boss, “You’ve not let me down, Doc. I like that and you will be rewarded for your efforts.”

“Thank you, Boss,” Dr. Clayton said enthusiastically, “Does this mean I can -”

“Now, now, Doc,” sang the male voice, “Don’t get ahead of yourself. You are not in a position to request anything from me.” 

“I didn’t mean any disrespect, sir,” Clayton babbled out, quickly backtracking.

“I know you didn’t,” the male voice said silkily, “You’ll get what you want when you fulfill your role to me and the Web Gang.” 

“Yes, Boss,” Dr. Clayton said nodding.

“Good, now I have another matter to attend to,” the Boss said, his voice growing slightly annoyed, “Apparently, one of underlings got caught by that brat, Rei.” 

“No way,” Dr. Clayton gasped.

“Yes, he’s probably about to get interrogated by the jailer if I don’t intervene,” the Boss said, but this time in a more relaxed tone, “But no worries. It’s a problem I can fix easily with my….connections.”

At the sound of the last word, Dr. Clayton gulped and wiped a bead of sweat forming on his forehead. “Do you want me to get rid of Straw Hat Luffy?”

“Are you an idiot?!,” the Boss yelled. His voice had changed completely into a barking growl but Dr. Clayton knew it was the same person, “If anything happens to Straw Hat Luffy under your care, you’re the first person that stupid punk, Rei, will suspect!”

“Sorry, sir,”  Dr. Clayton gasped, “I just wanted to make sure no one would be able trace this back to you.”

“You are very sweet,” the Boss sang now back to his calm and silky voice. “But I’ve already made preparations. I will deal with the Straw Hats myself.”

“If you’re sure,” Dr. Clayton stammered.

“Of course, I’m sure! I’m always sure!” The Boss shouted again before clearing his throat and regaining his composure, “Just focus on our shipment. It is important I get it by tomorrow.”

“Yes, Boss Tarantula.”

With that the transponder snail hung up and Dr. Clayton was left staring at the snail as he trembled in fear.


	11. The Princess' Plan

****“You want to do what?”

Prince Ellis snorted. Only the emotionally suppressed Rei could manage to convey shock and horror in a subdued whisper. He could see that his best friend was close to breaking the dainty floral teacup and saucer she was holding in her hands.

“Please, Rei~! It would be so fun,” sang out the female voice belonging to 12 year old Princess Mirabelle, the younger sister of Prince Ellis.

Rei set down her cup on the table. She was quite rough and it made a loud clattering sound, “You can’t be serious,” she admonished tersely, “It’s bad enough you make me play these crazy games with you, but now you want me to do _that_?”

“Playing tea party is not really a crazy game, you know,” Prince Ellis replied, sitting cross legged and sipping from his own cup in a delicate manner, “A lot of girls play this game.”

“Then why are you here?” Rei asked, looking pointedly at his pinky finger sticking up.

“Because I am a supportive older brother,” Prince Ellis said proudly.

“Which means you’re going along with her plan too?” Rei asked, genuinely floored by what the royal siblings were asking her.

“Think about it!” Ellis said excitedly, “Us, dressed up as common folk, running around on the streets tomorrow?! Being able to celebrate like everyone else? It would be so much fun. We’d be free for the first time in our lives.”

“And in the most danger,” Rei countered, “Think about the risks. Be logical!”

Mirabelle crinkled her nose at Rei’s statement. “Rei-rei, you sound like father-sama more and more every day. That’s not good. You need to sound more like a lady.”

“But I’m not a lady,” Rei said exasperatedly. She was beginning to lose her cool and she got up from her seat. She gestured around the the Princess’ room that was covered in laces, fresh cut flowers, and pink embellishments, “I don’t like the things you do. I am not into flowers, tea parties, or _dresses_!”

She spat out the last word as if her mouth were on fire. Rei took a deep breath to say more but she noticed that Mirabelle had tucked her lower lip in and started to form tears in her round, blue eyes.

“Now you’ve done it,” Ellis said, putting down his cup and rushing to his sister’s side.

“I-I-I-I’m sorry I f-f-f-forced you to do all these things,” Mirabelle blubbered out before burying her face in her brother’s frilled blouse and letting out a muffled, but still very shrill wail.

Rei looked at Ellis, at a loss of what to do. Ellis motioned for her to come comfort Rei but Rei shook her head. Ellis motioned harder for Rei to come over and Rei reluctantly sat down on the other side of Mirabelle.

She slowly reached out her hand and made three rhythmic pats at the top of Mirabelle’s head, which was covered in blonde curls. The tears immediately stopped.

“What are you doing?” Mirabelle asked, more confused by what was going on than upset from Rei’s outburst.

“Comforting you,” Rei stated.

Ellis and Mirabelle shared a look and the two siblings burst into laughter. “You are so awkward!” Ellis choked out in between laughs.

“I don’t know. I don’t usually deal with crying children!” Rei shouted defensively, “I’m a tactician! Not a baby comforter”

That sent Ellis and Mirabelle into another round of laughter. “Baby comforter,” Mirabelle squealed, “What does that even mean?”

“You know what I mean,” Rei grumbled, rolling her eyes. She patiently waited for the two to stop laughing. She wanted to say more but she didn’t want to provide them with any more material to make fun of her. Finally, when the prince and princess were composed, she asked them a serious question, “Do you think going out tomorrow is worth risking your lives?”

“Yes,” Mirabelle answered almost immediately.

Ellis was a bit more hesitant to give his answer. “Our lives _won’t_ be in danger. We’re all pretty strong fighters if we need to defend ourselves. We’ll be in masks so no one will know who we are. Plus, we have you to help protect us if anything goes wrong! Honestly, we’d be more in danger here than out there.”

The corner of Rei’s lips twitched as she stifled an amused grin. _Ah, he’s going for that argument. He’s really a lot smarter than he gives himself credit for._ “How so?” she challenged.

“While we’re here, bored out of our minds, everyone is paying attention to what is going on out there. Three quarters of the guards have been given a day of leave to celebrate. All the High Commanders are leading task units to guard different parts of the island. Father-sama is focused on preparing for his speech. And well, the Royal Doctor and his Medical Team will be attending to Mother-sama as they do everyday,” Ellis pointed out, “No one would be really caring about us.”

“You will have two Green Cloaks each to guard you,” Rei countered.

“Yeah but you’re stronger than ten of them put together,” Ellis shot back.

“Compliment me again and I’ll kill you,” Rei shot back without much malice in her tone.

“You know it’s true,” Ellis said defiantly.

“And how’s your training going?” Rei asked, not denying his claim.

“Mine?” Ellis asked, “It’s going okay, I guess. I’m pretty good with the sword and my Armament Haki is getting stronger and stronger.”

“And I can see weeks into the future now!” Mirabelle boasted, beaming with pride.

“Weeks?” Rei said, “I thought yesterday you said you could see months ahead.”

“Well, months have weeks, don’t they?” Mirabelle said exasperatedly.

“Okay, yes, you two are strong fighters and yes, I’ll keep you safe,” Rei said but she put up her hand to stop Mirabelle and Ellis from cheering, “BUT, if it’s okay with you, I’d like to discuss this with the king.”

“That’s a no, then!” Ellis wailed, “He’ll never say yes to that.”

“You did make some very valid points, Ellis,” Rei said, “He will say yes if I help argue your case.”

“So you’ll do it?!” Mirabelle said excitedly.

“Yes, but on three conditions,” Rei said sternly, “First, the king has to say yes. Second, you two must stick to my side _the entire day_ and do what I say when I tell you to, no questions.”

“Done and done,” Mirabelle said crossing her heart solemnly.

“What’s the third thing?” Ellis asked, even though he had a feeling of what’s coming next.

“You can’t put me in a dress,” Rei replied.

“Fine, but you’ll still need to go as a girl and not pretend to be a boy,” Ellis countered.

“Why?”

Ellis reached over and grabbed her braid which was down to the middle of her back. “Because of your stupid, long hair! We can only hide it under long wigs and even then you need to pin up some of your braid.”

“I mean, if you cut it…” Mirabelle mused.

“No!” Rei replied grabbing her hair back, “We are _not_ cutting my hair.”

“So you’ll be a girl?” Ellis asked, nudging Rei with his elbow.

“Fine, I’ll be a girl,” Rei said dejectedly, “Let me go talk to the king now.”

She picked up her mask, which was laying on the Princess’ pink bed with a white canopy overhead. She fastened her hood back over her hair and left the room but not before turning around and giving an order to the two Royal siblings, “Go visit Queen Adela before you go to bed. She might not be feeling well but seeing you puts her in a better mood.”

“Of course, we will,” Ellis said giving her a playful push out the door, “She’s _our_ mother, you know.”

He sucked his teeth and immediately regretted saying those words as soon as they were out but before he could apologize, the door closed behind Rei. She took a deep breath to help fade the unintentional sting. She knew he didn’t mean it that way but it still hurt. Just as she was about make her way down the hallway, a green cloak came running up to her.

“Commander Rei, sir!” he said panting before standing upright and giving her a salute, “The king requests your presence immediately.”

“Oh good, I was just about to go see him myself,” Rei said, brushing past the guard.

“So you know about the food poisoning already?” the guard asked.

Rei whirled around, her eyes wide as she looked at the guard. “Food poisoning?!”


	12. Tempers flare! Rei and Zoro Clash

"NAMI-SWANNNN, ROBIN-CHWANNN! ARE YOU OKAY?" Sanji's voice ripped through the air, accompanied by the thunderous sound of glass shattering, as he kicked through the glass doors of the hospital. He was too much in a hurry to wait patiently for the automatic doors to slide open.

The nurse at the front desk slouched into a tight ball at her desk. She had finally given up after an hour of trying to get the Straw Hats to settle down. Between the talking skeleton that was freaking out the other nurses by asking them to show him their pants, the orange haired girl who kept yelling at "Stupid Luffy" to feel better so they can go get her "promised treasure", the snoring swordsman, who refuses to take his legs off of the seats so other people could sit down in the waiting room, and now this new guy, who just destroyed the hospital doors...it was all just too much.

The rest of the nurses crouched next to her in a supportive huddle. "Nurse Shiyo, are you okay?"

"I try so hard," she whimpered softly to herself, "I try so hard to make this a nice, relaxing place."

"You are doing a great job," the nurses chorused together, "They're just being pirates, that's all."

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Nami yelled giving a harsh blow to the back of Sanji's head and shaking him violently by the collar, "Kicking your way through a glass door, scaring the hell out of everyone in this hospital?!"

Actually, you're now doing the scaring, Nami-san, Brook thought as he pitied the now limp body of Sanji.

"I'm so sorry! As soon as I mentioned that you were all in the hospital, he ran out in front of me. I didn't even give him time to explain that not all the crewmembers were ill," John interjected gasping for breath as he finally caught up to Sanji.

"It's actually just Luffy," Usopp corrected, "He has food poisoning."

John was startled by the mention of Luffy's ailment but Ben quickly rushed over to fill him in on the details.

"That idiot captain," Sanji muttered to himself and regained his composure, "Making me worried about beautiful Nami-Swan and lovely Robin-chwan."

"Oy, love cook," Zoro called from his spot, haven't budged even when Sanji made his entrance. His eyes were still closed and his chin was still resting on his chest with his arms crossed in front of him, "Where the hell have you been? We've been waiting for you. Did you get lost?"

"I'm not like you, shitty marimo! My sense of direction is fine!" Sanji yelled back.

Zoro's head shot up and he narrowed his eyes at the blonde. "What is that supposed to mean, snail brow?"

"S-s-s-snail brow?!" Sanji gasped taken aback by the new nickname.

"SNAIL BROW!" Usopp roared with laughter, "He called him Snail Brow!"

"You're one to talk. What's with the new green outfit? You look like a giant piece of seaweed!" Sanji barked out.

Zoro leapt to his feet and his hand went to his swords. "What did you say?"

"Seaweed," Chopper howled while rolling around on the floor and banging his fists on the ground, "Zoro is a seaweed!"

"Shut up, you two!" Sanji and Zoro yelled together at the hysterical Usopp and Chopper.

"Well, this is quite a development," said a solemn voice at the front desk.

The Straw Hats all turned to look at the source and found Rei, with two green cloaks on either side of her. She was standing at the front desk and thumbing through some charts. Her cloaked back was turned towards them.

"Looks like I have some questions for your captain," she said in her faux-boy voice. She turned to look at the crew through her mask.

"Commander Rei!" Ben and John gasped, hurrying to their feet and saluting her.

"Commander?!" Nami, Sanji, and Robin asked in unison.

"Oh, that's right. You haven't met him yet," Brook said, "He saved Usopp and Chopper from being abducted today by bounty hunters."

"What?" Nami yelled, "And you mention this to us NOW?"

Thwack!

Rei smacked the metal clipboard in her hand against the counter. The sudden sound instantly returned the focus back on her. It was efficient, to the point, and got the results Rei needed. "While you all catch up on your day, I'm going to go see your captain now. I can take one of you with me," Rei stated, "Who wants to come?"

All the Straw Hats jumped up and volunteered, besides Robin and Zoro. Robin was thoughtfully silent while Zoro was practically breathing steam out of his nose. The masked fellow irritated him almost as much as that shitty cook.

Robin calmly reached over and grabbed Chopper, plopping him in the arms of Rei. She instinctively caught him and she looked down at the fuzzy creature, who was staring wide-eyed back at her. Robin's gesture had the effect that she was going for and it ended the rest of the Straw Hats' yelling out why they deserve to go see the rubber man.

"Chopper should go. He is our ship's doctor, after all," Robin said.

"Okay, Dr. Reindeer, you're coming with me," Rei agreed and set him back down on the ground. She turned to the Green Cloaks next to her, "I'll be in there questioning Straw Hat Luffy and the doctor. Unit 1, go get copies of his medical history and the doctor's findings. Unit 2, find any additional patient suffering from any signs of food poisoning. I want thorough answers."

"Yes, sir!" the Green Cloaks saluted before each pair took off in opposite directions.

"Room-" a nurse started to say.

"102, yes I know," Rei said cutting her off, "I'm a genius."

"Shut up!" Zoro barked, "Enough with that already."

Usopp immediately flung himself at Zoro. "Please, please don't make him angry. We don’t want any trouble."

Rei slowly turned to face the swordsman. She crossed her arms over chest and studied Zoro’s scowl. "Did I do something to annoy you?"

The waiting room went deadly quiet as everyone turned their attention to the swordsman and the masked commander.

"Yes, everything you do is annoying," Zoro snapped, much to the dismay of Usopp, "Just leave our crew alone."

Rei tilted to her head to the side. "Saving your friends today from the group was annoying?" she countered, "How about having two Red Cloaks direct you around the island so you and your friends don't get lost? Was that annoying too?"

"Yes, all of it!" Zoro barked, "I could've easily saved Chopper and Usopp myself but you just had to step in. We'd find our way around the island without anyone's help too."

That's not entirely true, Zoro, thought the rest of the Straw Hat crew.

"It does make sense that you’d be able to handle the bounty hunters," Rei said, deliberately not unconcealing the disdain in her voice, “Since it takes one to know one.”

"For the last time, I'm not a bounty hunter anymore!" Zoro shouted, “Why is everyone on this stupid island so fixated on that? I’m a swordsman! That’s all.”

"I don't care what you are. What matters is what you've done!"

"That's hypocritical coming from a Royal Tactician of an island that forgives the past crimes of pirates!" Zoro yelled.

No one had ever accused her of being a hypocrite before and it did not sit well with Rei at all. In fact, for the first time in a long time, Rei lost her temper.

"Bounty hunters are different!" Rei shouted, matching his glare with just as much anger and annoyance, “They don’t deserve forgiveness!”

"Why?" Zoro demanded.

"Because-" Rei thundered.

The intensity in her own voice was something she never heard within herself before and it snapped her back into her senses. She stopped herself immediately from finishing her sentence and bit her lip. She was very thankful that the mask blocked them from the surprise on her face.

"Because what?" Zoro pressed, not noticing that her green eyes were no longer glaring back at him but more widened with shock at her own loss of composure.

What is the matter with me?, She thought to herself, disappointed that she even allowed any shred of emotion to come out. I know better than to lose control like that.

She assessed the swordsman in front of her. Nothing about him really stood out to her. Yes, his hair color was nothing she's ever seen before and he was quite muscular. He also wore his three swords in a way that made her know he was not to be toyed with. However, she had stood in front of many swordsmen and bounty hunters before. They’ve all said hateful things so what is it about this one that made her behave so out of character? She silently vowed to do some extra training when she returned to the castle. She focused her mind and forced herself to calm down.

"Well?" Zoro demanded.

Rei's breath returned back to its even pace. "Because bounty hunters kill for money. Pirates kill for a cause. There is no honor or pride for a bounty hunter. A pirate can be a good man. There is no good in bounty hunters."

With that she turned and walked out of the waiting area. Chopper took a hesitant look back at Zoro, before hurrying behind Rei to see Luffy. Zoro's face had turned from angry to dumbstruck.

Back in the waiting room, Zoro remained frozen in his spot. He could feel everyone's eyes on him and he could feel his face grow red with embarrassment at the attention. "What the hell are you all looking at?" He snapped. Everyone jumped and pretended to be preoccupied by everything besides him. He grunted and sat back down in his seat.

"Hey, Zoro," Usopp started to say.

"Not now, Usopp," Zoro scowled. He leaned his elbows against his knees and stared down at his feet.

How dare he, Zoro thought to himself, How dare he make such accusations about me? I hunted pirates, not innocent children. Did I kill a couple of them to make ends meet? Yes. Were they all criminals? Yes. Does that make me a bad guy? No!

Zoro's mind flashed through all the kills and bounties he's claimed over his years and an uneasy feeling started to spread in his stomach. He quickly forced himself to block it out and concentrated on making the feeling go away. He took a deep breath and calmed his mind.

"Zoro," Nami called out to him and walked over to his side, Taking a seat next to him. the swordsman stayed silent and unmoving. "Besides Luffy, I've known you the longest in the crew."

"Then you'd know to leave me alone, Nami," Zoro said, getting ready to stand up but Nami held her hand up to stop him.

"You're hot tempered," Nami stated, "You're a blockhead. You're a jock that can't run in a straight line for the life of him."

"Huh?" Zoro raised an eyebrow. Where is she going with this?

"You're stubborn. You never know when to back down a fight," she continued, "You're terrible with kids and you have killed people. But…"

"But what?" Zoro finally asked after a long pause from Nami.

"But you're not a murderer," Nami said, looking directly into Zoro's eyes, "You're a good man, Zoro, and I believe that."

"I believe it too," Usopp chimed in, climbing over the seats to Zoro and giving a light punch on Zoro's shoulder, hurting his own hand more than expected.

"Me too," Brook added.

"You are an annoying, shitty swordsman," Sanji reluctantly said, fighting the urge to light a cigarette in a hospital, "But you're not a bad guy."

Robin said nothing but just leaned on the wall next to Zoro and gave him her quiet smile. Even though Zoro kept his eyes on the ground, she knew he understood how they all felt.

"I guess I'll have to prove that know-it-all wrong," Zoro finally said and looked up at his nakama, "And show him I'm not that bad of a guy."

"How?" Usopp asked.

"By not kicking his ass."


	13. What did Luffy Eat?

Back in room 102, Rei was having a hard time getting any answers out of Luffy, who was fully deflated with the previous contents in his body resting in pungent buckets around the room. The nurses were all hurriedly trying to remove as much of the buckets into biohazard bins resting outside of the room. The closest Luffy could come to speaking was severe dry heaving spells.

Dr. Clayton watched her with concerned eyes, hidden from the reflections of his thick glasses. He was confident that she wouldn’t find any leads. Thankfully the Straw Hat had eaten at every single food stall so there was no way they could trace it back to the Web Gang, and more importantly, to Tarantula. Even so, he’d taken a few precautions.

“Straw Hat Luffy,” Rei pressed, trying one more time, “Did you taste anything funny at all?”

“Luffy!” Chopper shouted concerned at the state of his friend, “Are you okay?!”

“Ch-ch-ch-chopper,” Luffy gasped out.

“LUFFY!” Chopper cried, rushing over to his side.

“I...I ate too much,” Luffy said weakly before falling asleep.

“Looks like the sedatives kicked in,” Dr. Clayton said.

Rei kept her tone even to hide her surprise.  “Why would you give him sedatives if you knew we needed to question him?”

“He has been vomiting non-stop for the past couple hours,” Dr. Clayton said, “He needed some rest.”

Chopper hurried over to the middle of the bed and pushed Luffy onto his side to prevent him from choking while sleeping. “He is looking exhausted.”

“See? Even his ship’s doctor agrees with me,” Dr. Clayton pointed out.

“Fine,” Rei said focusing her attention away for Dr. Clayton, who mentally breathed a sigh of relief, and towards Franky. “As for you...Would you prefer I call you Cyborg Franky or Cutty Flam?”

Franky raised his sunglasses so he can get a better look at Rei. “Ow! How’d you know my real name, Mask-Bro?”

“I’m a genius who happens to be privy to select Naval Reports,” Rei explained.

“Ow! Call me Franky. Ask me your super questions,” Franky said, “I have nothing to hide.”

“Clearly,” Rei said gesturing to his mankini.

“This is who I am, mask bro!” Franky said giving Rei a thumbs up with his mini hand.

“Don’t call him mask bro! Franky!” Chopper said tugging at Franky’s leg, “He’s a commander! We don’t want to get into any trouble while we’re here.”

“It’s fine,” Rei said, “Do I seem like someone who would arrest someone just for being disrespectful?”

“To be fair, we super don’t know enough about you to be sure,” Franky replied.

“True,” Rei said. She turned her attention back to Dr. Clayton, “Is it okay for their ship’s doctor to look over Straw Hat Luffy’s charts?”

Dr. Clayton was startled by Rei’s request. _Is she suspicious of me?_

“O-o-of course. But may I ask why?”

“He’s the Straw Hat’s doctor and his crew member. I would think he would want to know what is going on with his captain,” Rei answered without missing a beat. She tilted her head to the side and put on an innocent tone. “Is there a reason why you don’t want him to see the charts?”

“Of course not!” Dr. Clayton said indignantly as he handed Chopper Luffy’s files.

Chopper gave both Rei and Dr. Clayton a grateful smile as he looked though Luffy’s records, Rei resumed her questioning with Franky. “So what did your captain eat today?”

“Everything,” Franky answered, “We went on a super food tour of your food market.”

“You ate at every stall?”

“Not me. Luffy. I stopped about halfway.”

“Okay, so that leaves out about 50 or so vendors,” Rei said making a notes in a notepad she took from the front desk.

“Why is that?” Chopper asked.

“Because your captain is sick but Cyborg Franky isn’t,” Rei pointed out.

“Ow! I said to just call me Franky, Rei-boy!” Franky said.

“Okay, Franky,” Rei said hesitantly. She was a little uncomfortable to be on a first name basis with a stranger, “So did he mention if anything tasted odd?”

“No, he said everything was super yummy!” Franky answered.

“Do you know when he started to feel sick?” She asked.

“I’m not too sure. Any time he said he was a little uncomfortable, we just thought it was because he was overeating,” Franky said, “I rushed to the hospital when Luffy first started vomiting on the streets.”

Rei remembered trailing them earlier in the day and that there were three of them. “Was there anyone else with you at the food market?” Rei asked.

“Yes. Our cook with the fancy eyebrows. He was with us in the food markets earlier,” Franky said.

“How come he didn’t come with you guys to the hospital?” Rei asked.

“He had to drop off all the stuff we bought back on the Sunny,” Franky said.

“Since he doesn’t show signs of symptoms either, your captain definitely got sick after you two stopped eating,” Rei observed.

She took a minute to think. She already narrowed down half the vendors, but that was still too much for them to investigate and question in one night. She was missing something but what?

Just then she noticed Chopper, checking Luffy’s the IV drip. “Doctor reindeer. Can I ask you some questions?”

Chopper leapt up in surprise. He didn’t expect to be part of her interrogation. “Sure,” he said nervously.

“How’d you know your captain would be here?”

“What do you mean?” Chopper asked.

“Well, Franky was here with him the whole time. Your cook, Sanji, left before he got sick so he couldn’t have told you about the hospital. So how did you know?”

“Madame Cecilia told Nami,” Chopper said.

“Who is Madame Cecilia?” Frank asked.

“Madame Cecilia?” Rei repeated, slightly alarmed by the mention of the name, “You met with Madame Cecilia?”

“Yes, Nami wanted to ask her if she knew where she could find any treasure,” Chopper answered honestly before turning to Franky, “She’s a fortune teller!’

“OW! You guys went to a fortune teller without me?” Franky said, “There’s tons of things I’d want to ask.”

“And did she tell Nami?” Rei asked, making a note in the notepad and stopping Franky from listing out his questions.

“Yes, she said once we were all reunited, Nami would get treasures from the castle,” Chopper said before he could stop himself.

He clamped his hooves to his mouth. _Oh no!_ he thought, _If Nami finds out that I told Commander Rei she’s after the royal treasury, she’s going to kill me!_

“Don’t worry, doctor reindeer,” Rei said, not looking up from her notepad, “I won’t tell Nami you told me about the treasure hunt.”

“Really?” Chopper cried overjoyed and relieved he was off the hook.

Rei gave a solemn nod. “I will need to tell the King to up the number of guards around the Royal Treasury, though.”

“Oh no,” Chopper said slumping a little. He knew that it wouldn’t stop Nami and it probably meant her involving him and Usopp somehow.

“Did Madame Cecilia tell you guys anything else?” Rei asked.

“Well, she did tell Zoro that his time was coming,” Chopper recalled.

“OW! Zoro’s going to die?” Franky cried.

“No, I don’t think what she meant. Although, Usopp thinks that,” Chopper said.

“Anything else?,” Rei asked, not wanting to talk about anything involving that man.

Chopper hit his fist into the palm of his other hoof, “Oh, she had a message for Luffy!”

“Which was?”

“It was the meatball!”


	14. Food Poisoning: Second Protocol in Place!

“Meatball?” Franky cried, “But he ate thousands of meatballs. He ate grilled ones, ones on sticks, fried ones...How do we know which one he ate?”

“Actually,” Commander Rei said tucking the notepad back in her cloak and standing up, “That does narrow it down to enough vendors for us to investigate tonight.”

 _Shit!_ **_,_ ** Dr. Clayton thought, _Why’d that stupid fortune teller tell them anything? She hasn’t welcomed anyone inside her house for the last ten years! I need to warn the Boss._

“Dr. Clayton,” Rei said turning her attention to the doctor, who she noticed was slightly sweating, “I’d like to thank you following protocol. Your hospital responded very well and everyone in here did not panic. You have a very helpful staff.”

“Th-th-thank you, Commander,” Dr. Clayton stammered and adjusted his glasses.

“Are you nervous about something?” Rei asked innocently.

Dr. Clayton mentally let out a string of curse words.

“O-o-of course, I am!” Dr. Clayton stammered, “Of course I’m nervous! My whole staff is nervous! We understand the seriousness of food poisoning, especially when it comes to possible foods catered to the great King Tannenbay. It’s no laughing matter. We _love_ our king!”

“I see,” Rei said slowly, “And what about Straw Hat Luffy?”

Dr. Clayton breathed an internal sigh of relief, “What _about_ him?”

“When can he be released from the hospital?” she asked.

“Not until he’s fully awake and able to stand without vomiting,” Dr. Clayton replied.

“Seems like he just needs bed rest then,” she said.

“I guess so,” Dr. Clayton said, unsure of where she was going.

She turned to Chopper and Franky, “Doctor reindeer, grab any supplies you think Luffy will need from the hospital. Franky, will you be able to carry him steadily with that IV drip in his arm?”

“W-w-w-wait a minute!” Dr. Clayton protested, “You can’t release him! You don’t have the authority. I’m the Chief of Medicine here and I won’t allow it.”

“I do have the authority,” Rei said without turning around to look at Dr. Clayton, “This is no longer a hospital matter but a matter that involves King Tannenbay. When it comes to him, my authority goes far above yours. If you have a problem with that, take it up with the king, who you love so much.”

“So Luffy can leave the hospital?!” Chopper asked happily.

“Yes, as long as you are on hand to take care of him. He still needs medical attention,” Rei said, something about this reindeer made her want to be nice to him. It was an odd feeling for her, “So be sure to get any medical supplies you need from here.”

“En!” Chopper said nodding happily, “I don’t need anything! My supplies are on the Sunny.”

“You’re not going to the Sunny,” Rei said.

“What?” Chopper and Franky asked.

“I’ve already prepared a place for your entire crew to stay in,” Rei explained, “It’s close by and it’s safe.”

“But-” Franky started to protest but Rei cut him off.

“Dr. Clayton, please assist the Straw Hat’s doctor on getting anything he needs,” she said.

“Yes, sir,” Dr. Clayton said relieved to be able to get away from the commander, “Come this way. I’ll show you to our medical supply closet.”

“Thanks!” Chopper said walking out the door with him.

As the door closed behind them, Dr. Clayton lead Chopper down a hallway, in the opposite direction from the waiting area. _What do I do?_ He thought to himself. _The Boss asked me to take care of Straw Hat Luffy but now with that brat Rei taking him, my hands are tied! I need to call him and warn him that they know about the meatballs too! I need to get rid of this reindeer, but how?_

He turned a corner with Chopper following closely behind.

“Dr. Clayton,” Chopper said, breaking the silence as they walked, “I just need some IV drips so that Luffy doesn’t dehydrate and a basic medical kit would be enough.”

They stopped in front of a door with the word MS on it and Dr. Clayton opened the door for Chopper. “Here, take anything you need in here. I need to check in on my other patients but I’ll be right back. If you don’t see something you need, look for any other door marked MS. It stands for Medical Supplies. Do you know how to find your way back?”

“En!” Chopper said and sniffed the air, “I remember the way and have a good sense of smell.”

“Great,’ Dr. Clayton said, quickly rushing down the hallway back to his office.

Back in room 102, Franky was yelling at Rei. “Why can’t we go back to Sunny-go?! It’s perfectly safe there.”

“It’s not about safety,” Rei said trying to calm the cyborg down, “Even before this whole food poisoning thing, I had a place prepared for you and the crew.”

“Why?” Franky demanded.

“It was a request from...” Rei struggled to find the right word, “A friend.”

“What friend? Friend of yours or friend of ours?” Franky asked.

“Both,” Rei said.

“How can I super trust you?” Franky asked, “I don’t even know what you look like.”

“I never lie,” Rei said matter of factly.

“ _THAT_ COULD BE A LIE!” Franky yelled.

“But it isn’t,” Rei insisted and then she sighed, “Believe me, your captain will want to meet him.”

“Meet him?” Franky yelled, “So it’s someone we haven’t even met yet? That sounds like a trap!”

“How about this,” Rei said giving up, “The priority is to get Luffy out of this hospital. Let’s take him, you can all return to the Sunny, and then when Luffy wakes up, I’ll have him decide.”

“What makes you think he’ll want to go with you?” Franky said.

“I’m a genius,” Rei replied.

A sudden knock on the door interrupted Franky from giving his answer. A Green Cloak entered the room. He was a different person than the ones that came with Commander Rei.

“Sorry to interrupt, sir,” the Green Cloak said, “But I have some urgent news.”

Rei sighed and turned to face the Green Cloak, “Report!”

“The bounty hunter you captured today is dead.”

“What?” Rei gasped, eyes widening, “How?”

“We’re not sure…”

“What do you mean you’re not sure? There’s video surveillance in his cell,” Rei demanded.

“Well, it looked as though, he killed himself,” The Green Cloak said, “Commander Mira is investigating this.”

“Mira?” Rei asked, more to herself than to the Green Cloak.

“Yes,” the Green Cloak said, “Commander Doru sent me here to inform you of this update and to check on how your investigation was going.

“Tell him I’ll let him know in our morning briefing meeting,” Rei said, “You are dismissed.”

“Thank you, sir!” the Green Cloak said. He saluted Rei and then started to leave the room.

“Where is your partner?,” Rei asked suddenly. The Green Cloak turned around.

“Sir?”

“Cloaks run in pairs. That has always been the system,” Rei said, “Where is your partner?”

The Green Cloak started to sweat.

“I know Commander Doru did not send you,” Rei continued, her arms now hidden underneath her cloak, “During a case of food poisoning, there is a second protocol in place. Commander Doru is removed from any part of the investigation and is taken away to a holding cell where he would be kept under surveillance until we end the investigation. As he is in charge of creating the list of the Royal Family’s daily meals, he will always be suspect #1 in a food poisoning case.”

Rei took one step closer to the Green Cloak, who instinctively took a step back, “You don’t know about the pairing system, you don’t know about the second protocol, but you _did_ know about the death of the bounty hunter.”

Suddenly the two daggers chains flew out from under her cloak and wrapped around the Green Cloak. Rei, held the chains with both hands, pulled hard, and bound him by forcing his arms to his sides.

“Which means,” she continued, “You’re a new recruit for the Web Gang.”

“You bastard!” The Green Cloak cried out and struggled against the heavy chains, “Let me go.”

“Why would Tarantula send one of his new recruits to come bait me?” she asked out loud.

“Boss Tarantula believes in me,”  The Green Cloak screamed at first but then his voice started to get fainter, “He knows I can take you down...you...you..little..piece of…”

He stopped mid sentence, growing limp from the chains.

“So you’re a devil fruit user!,” Rei said.

“OW! Your chains are made from Sea Prism Stones?” Franky yelled, “That is super convenient!”

Rei turned to Franky, still holding tightly to her chains, “You wouldn’t happen to be an interrogation expert, would you?”

Franky shrugged, “I can kick his ass if you want.”

“Maybe,” Rei said and genuinely considered that option.

“I-I-I-I’ll tell you nothing,” The Green Cloak gasped and sunk to the floor.

“You’ll change your mind, eventually. I’m very patient,” Rei said walking over to him and knocking him unconscious.


	15. 6 Types of Haki? Forbidden Haki's Revealed

**** “So, let me get this straight,” Nami said with her hands on her hips. The Straw Hats were standing outside the hospital with Franky holding Luffy, Chopper clutching a bag of medical supplies, and Zoro carrying the unconscious Green Cloak imposter, while Rei still held onto the chains that wrapped around her prisoner, “We’re all going back to the Sunny and waiting for Luffy to wake up and that includes the masked guy and this green dude?” 

“Yes, I-” Rei started to explain but Nami cut her off.

“Sorry, this is a discussion between us. Outsiders stay out of it,” Nami stated holding one hand up to block Rei.

Rei tilted her head before nodding in agreement. _If I remember correctly,_ _social protocol states I should give them their space._

“Oh, okay. I guess, I’ll be over here then,” Rei said. She walked a couple feet away from the group and turned her backs on them. Her chains still in her hands.

“You don’t have to go all the way there!” Usopp yelled, “That looks so weird! The chain is all stretched out between you and Zoro. It looks like you’re holding a leash! You can stand  _ with _ us, you just can’t contribute to the crew’s discussion!”

“Oh, I see,”  Rei said coming back to her normal position.

_ This guy is so awkward, _ the Straw Hats thought to themselves.

“Like I was saying,” Nami said and cleared her throat, “Why are we having this guy go with us back to the Sunny?”

“Ow! Rei-boy here says he has a super friend that Luffy would want to meet,” Franky said.

“If we’re going back to the Sunny, why did I need to get medical supplies?” Chopper asked, holding up his bag.

“Think of it as looting!” Usopp said encouragingly, “You’re a pirate doctor! You looted some stash from a hospital!”

“Sorry, Chopper,” Franky said, “We made that decision after you left. I just didn’t trust him enough to go to this safe place he said he had.”

Rei coughed and wondered if that was her cue to speak but she decided to keep her mouth shut as it looked like the crew was still deliberating.

“The priority is for Luffy to get better,” Robin pointed out, “So we should get him back to the Sunny and wait for him to wake up. Chopper, any idea how long that will take?”

“Well, based on the medication I saw Dr. Clayton give Luffy, the sedative will wear off soon. Luffy should be in a pretty light sleep,” Chopper said.

_ Weird, _ Rei thought,  _ I thought he’d put him in a heavier sleeping state since he said Luffy was exhausted. _

“I have a question,” Zoro said breaking Rei’s train of thought, “Why am I holding this guy?”

“He’s my prisoner,” Rei stated.

“Again, why am  _ I _ holding this guy? Robin can just pull him along,” Zoro said and resisted the urge to rip the mask off of Rei’s face.

“The chains are made of Sea Prism Stones so devil fruit users can’t carry him,” Rei said.

“Plus, you’re strong,” Nami said, “Would you rather carry Luffy?”  

Zoro looked over at Luffy, who had now started to drool all over Franky’s chest.

“Ow! That’s super gross, Luffy!” Franky yelled throwing Luffy high up in the air.

“KEEP HIM STABLE, FRANKY!” Chopper cried frantically as Franky scrambled to catch their captain back in his arms.

“Fine,” Zoro sighed, “Let’s just get this over with.”

“I’ll lead you guys back to the Sunny,” Rei said walking ahead with Zoro following closely behind. He had no choice in the matter since Rei still held onto the chains.

“Hey, that’s not a bad idea,” Usopp said looking at the pair, “There’s no way Zoro will get lost that way!” 

“I heard that, Usopp!” Zoro yelled and the sniper shrieked, “And you’ll pay for that later.”

“He looks comfortable being led by chains,” Sanji said, finally enjoying a cigarette, “It’s a good look, Seaweed!”

“Shut up, Snail Brow!” Zoro called back and muttered to himself, “Still don’t understand why Ben and John can’t just come with us instead of this know-it-all.”

“Ben and John have families to get to,” Rei said having heard the swordsman not-so-subtle mumble, “They’re all preparing for tomorrow.”

“Don’t you have a family too?” Zoro asked.

“Is that important?” Rei shot back.

They walked in tense silence as they made their way to Pirate Harbor. Neither of them spoke and the only noise was the chatter among the rest of the Straw Hats as they all shared how each of their day went.

Finally aboard the Sunny, Franky laid Luffy down on the bed in Chopper’s office. Rei stood quietly to the side and watched the Straw Hats go about their business. They all waited for the captain of the ship to wake up.

“Hey Robin,” Nami called out suddenly, “Something has been bothering me.”

“Yes, Nami?” Robin asked thumbing through one of the new books she bought.

“You said the book you read was hundreds of years old,” Nami said, “But if Madame Cecilia wrote the book, then it couldn’t have been  _ that _ old.”

“One hundred and fifty, actually,” Rei answered.

“What?” Nami asked.

“Madame Cecilia is around 150 years old,” Rei stated again for clarity. 

“WHAT?! B-b-b-but she didn’t look anything past 50!” Usopp shouted.

“It’s a type of Haki,” Rei said simply.

Zoro scoffed at her answer. “That’s bullshit. There’s only three types of Haki and none of it can be used to stop aging.”

“It doesn’t stop aging,” Rei said not meeting Zoro’s eyes, “It just slows it down and you’re wrong.”

“Here goes the know-it-all again,” Zoro said exasperatedly, feeling the annoyance and anger creeping up his throat, “What am I wrong about?”

“There are are 6 different types of Haki not three,” Rei said.

“WHAT?!” the Strawhats cried.

“Observational, Armament, and Conqueror’s Haki are the three Safe Haki’s to use, so they are assumed to be the only three types out there,” Rei said and held up three fingers for emphasis, “There are three other types in addition to those.” 

“Then how come people don’t know about those three?” Robin asked.

“Because the other three are considered forbidden. The Forbidden Haki’s come with great risks and have severe side effects on someone’s health. That’s why they are banned and not known outside of Beffi Island,” Rei said.

“What are the three?” Nami asked.

“Life Haki, which is a type of haki control that slows aging and extends your lifespan,” Rei explains.

“That’s what Madame Cecilia uses?” guessed Chopper.

“Correct,” Rei nodded, “Your physical body, though, can only exceed a certain point so people who use Life Haki grow very fragile over time. They are still alive and they look younger than they are, but their bones grow brittle and their organs grow weak. Once they reach a certain point, a strong gust of wind could break them in half.”

The Straw Hats gulped at the idea of it. Rei continued, “Second one is Transferable Haki, where one person can force their Haki through another body.” 

“So if someone who can control their Life Haki, can also help extend another person’s life if they know how to use Transferable Haki as well?” Sanji asked.

“Yes, technically, but people who know a Forbidden Haki only are able to master one,” Rei said, “The side effect of Transferable Haki is that if you don’t have 100% full control, you end up giving away too much of your Haki and dying. There’s only been two people in the entirety of Beffi Island history who have mastered that skill.” 

“So what’s the third?” Zoro, his interest in the topic beating out his annoyance with Rei.

Suddenly, Rei disappeared in front of the Straw Hats eyes.

“WHAT?!” they gasped.

“Behind you,” Rei said behind Zoro.

He spun around with his swords in hand but Rei vanished again.

“I’m over here,” Rei said, appearing right behind Sanji.

“What the hell?” the cook shouted swinging his leg around but the Commander was gone in an instant.

“The third and final Forbidden Haki,” Rei said now in her original position, “...is Linked Haki.”

“Linked Haki?” Chopper and Usopp asked.

“It’s when your mind and your body are fully linked and you can move as fast as you think,” Rei said.

“What’s the side effect of that?” Zoro asked.

Suddenly, Rei doubled over and crumpled to the ground. “After shock,” she gasped as she tilted her mask a little to spit out some blood, “Our bodies are not physically capable of moving that fast so after a couple of fast moves, you’ll get whiplash.”

Chopper rushed over to Rei to help her up but she pushed him gently to the side. “Don’t touch me. I just need a minute.”

“How bad is the impact?” Zoro asked as Rei panted on the ground.

“Depends on how far you’re moving,” Rei said. She got back on her feet shakily and leaned against the railings for balance, “The greater the distance, the bigger the impact. It also didn’t help that I just did three in a row, back to back, without stopping.”

“You could’ve just done it once,” Zoro said.

“I didn’t want it to seem like I was targeting you,” Rei said touching her hood to make sure it was still in tact.

“What happens if you carry someone with you?” Chopper asked, “Would they feel it too?”

“No, they’ll feel nothing but the Haki user will get double the impact,” Rei said.

Rei’s mind flashed back to her darkest moment. Memories of her mother’s grip, the blood, and her mother’s last words crept back into her mind. It took all her mental energy for Rei to block it out.

“OY!” Zoro called out snapping her mind back to the present, “I asked you a question.”

“Sorry, I didn’t hear you,” Rei said shaking her head a little.

Zoro raised his eyebrow at their masked passenger. “How is it different from the technique those CP-9 guys use? Shave, I think is what they call it?” 

“There is a limited distance they can move around,” Rei explained, “And side effects aside, you could technically move anywhere you can see in your mind.”

“In your mind?” Sanji asked.

“Yes as long as I can picture it clearly in my head, I can move there. So it needs to be somewhere I am familiar with or something I can see directly ahead,” Rei explained.

“Can you train to get the Forbidden Haki’s,” Zoro asked, still slightly annoyed at having to repeat himself earlier, “Or do you have to be born with it, like Conqueror’s Haki?”

“Transferable Haki and Life Haki can be taught,” Rei said, “But you’ll need to train for a long time. And Linked Haki-” 

_ Purupurupurupuru. _

A muffled transponder snail interrupted Rei. The Straw Hats looked around the deck to find the source.

_ Purupurupurupuru. _

“Oh sorry!” Rei said, nestled around her cloak and pulled out a transponder snail.

“How are you running around with Sea Prism Stone chains and full sized transponder snails?!” Usopp cried.

“I’m strong,” Rei said before picking up the phone.

_ Catcha. _

Before she could say a word, a deep booming voice pierced through the air.

“WHERE ARE YOU?” He wailed, “I’m so worried. You haven’t been home in a while. It’s dark out. I heard there was a case of food poisoning but no one would tell me anything!”

“Hey, Dad,” Rei said, a little embarrassed by her old man’s lack of composure, “Yes, I’m fine. I’m with the Straw Hats.”

“Oh good! So they’re coming!” He said excitedly.

“Not yet…” Rei said, unsure of how to explain the situation, “They haven’t agreed to coming yet.”

“What?! I thought the Straw Hat would be excited to meet Shanks’ family!” Jeffrey said with disappointment in his voice.

“Sh-Sh-Shanks?!” shouted Luffy, swinging the door to Chopper’s office wide open, “What about Shanks?!”


	16. Rei’s Family History! Behind the Mask

“Luffy!” The Straw Hats cried, relieved that their captain was back up on his feet again.

However, the rubber man was not paying attention to his crew. His eyes were fixed on the masked stranger, who was holding a transponder snail.

“What did you say about Shanks?” he yelled at Rei.

“Dad,” Rei said into the receiver, “I haven’t told them that part yet.”

“You’ve been with them all day!” her dad shouted back, “Your first words to them should’ve been, ‘Hello, I’m Shanks’ niece and I have a message from him!”

“WHAT?!” the Straw Hats cried out.

“Again,” Rei said calmly and nonreactive to the commotion going around her, “I haven’t told them that part yet. Plus, we’re out on the docks. It’s not safe here. I’ll tell them now, okay? And then I’ll call you back.”

“But-”

_Catcha._

She hung up the snail while her father was still protesting and tucked it back under her cloak. She then turned her attention back to the Straw Hats, who were all shouting at her.

“You’re a girl?!” Chopper cried out.

“You’re a girl!” Sanji yelled with hearts in his eyes.

“Who are you?!” Luffy demanded.

“This is not a great place to talk,” Rei said. She held up her hands and waited for silence from the Straw Hats. When they finally did, she continued, “Is there somewhere on the ship that is more private?”

“Tell me about Shanks!” Luffy demanded.

“It’s not safe here,” Rei said pointing at the line of pirate ships along the dock, “I’ll tell you everything you need to know as soon as we’re not out here.”

Luffy cocked his head to the side, contemplating this strangers’ words, before putting his hands behind his head, “Okay! Let’s go to the dining room. I’m hungry, anyways. My belly is empty now. Sanji, meat!”

“Idiot,” Sanji yelled following his captain along with the rest of the crew, “Your stomach is still settling. You’ll have soup. SOUP!”

Rei sat at the dining table wondering when was a good time to explain who she was. The Green Cloak imposter laid unconscious in the furthest corner of the room. He had woken up earlier but two swift kicks from Sanji knocked him out again.

 _The captain seemed to be more focused on eating his dinner first_ , Rei thought as the Straw Hats chowed down, _He seemed to forget I’m here as soon as the cook served the first plate of food. Although, the cook actually served Nico Robin and ‘Cat Thief’ Nami first._

A part of her also wondered why the rest of the Straw Hats were not still in shock about her identity. They all seemed to be in bright spirits as soon as Luffy showed signs of life again. Rei, on the other hand, was a little at loss for words. She didn’t know if it would be rude for her to join in on the meal but she probably shouldn’t eat anyways. Her dad most likely had dinner waiting for her at home.

Just as her mind thought of dinner, her stomach betrayed her and growled. That seemed to stop the chatter around the table as the Straw Hats turned to look at her.

“You should eat,” Sanji said pushing a plate of food towards her, “You’re hungry.”

“I don’t eat food from strange men,” Rei said bluntly.

“YOSH! I feel so much better now!” Luffy stretched out his arms and rubbed his belly with a huge smile. “So, who are you? And what is Shanks’ message?”

Rei was startled at how quickly the focus shifted back to her. She didn’t know what to say. After everything that happened today, how does she even begin? The only thing that came to mind was her dad’s suggestion.

“Hello,” she said stiffly, finally dropping her faux-boy voice for them, “I’m Shanks’ niece and I have a message from him.”

“WE KNOW THAT!” the Straw Hats shouted at her.

“Right,” she said. Well actions speak louder than words, she thought to herself, And Uncle Shanks did ask me to trust in Luffy.

She pushed her chair back and stood up. She reached up to her hood and hesitated for a moment before pushing the hood back to show the Straw Hats the flaming red hair on her head.

“Red hair!” Luffy shouted, “Like Shanks!”

“Why are you so surprised?,” Usopp yelled smacking Luffy on the head, “She’s related to him!”

Then, she reached for her mask and took it off, feeling exposed and vulnerable in front of the strangers.

"WHOAHHHHH!" cried out Sanji and Brook, when her face confirmed that she was 100% female.

"Miss, can I ask you a question?" Brook asked taking Rei's hand into his bony ones.

"I am sorry for trying to kick you earlier. I am a rough man and did not treat you like the delicate flower that you are," Sanji said, kneeling down and taking her other hand.

"May I see your pants?" Brook asked, pressing her hand closer to him.

"Why would you want to do that?" Rei asked blankly. She pulled her hands away from both their holds, "I wear army issued men's underpants. It's nothing special."

"WHY WOULD YOU TELL HIM THAT?" Nami, Usopp, and Chopper demanded.

 _She might be even more clueless than Zoro!_ , they thought.

"I did not know such beauty existed behind that mask, Rei-chan," Sanji said, still kneeling and unfazed by Rei's admission.

"Compliment me again and I'll kill you," Rei hissed instinctively. She pulled out one of her dagger chains and pointed it at his throat.

Zoro chuckled to himself. _She’s less annoying with that mask off._

“Yes, Rei-chan,” Sanji sang out, getting to his feet and sitting back down in his chair.

The compliment seemed to snap Rei’s mind back into focus and she turned to face Luffy.

“My mother was Shanks’ younger sister,” she said.

“That subject change was too abrupt!” Usopp huffed.

“I didn’t even know Shanks had a sister!” Luffy said in surprise.

“You didn’t even know Shanks was an apprentice on Gol D. Roger’s ship either,” Nami pointed out.

“True,” Luffy said.

“How well do you know Shanks?” Usopp asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Actually, that’s how my mother and father met,” Rei explained, “My father was a crew member on Gol D. Roger.”

“WHAT?!” The Straw Hats exclaimed.

“So is your dad Rayleigh or Buggy?” Luffy asked, confused.

“IDIOT, THERE ARE MORE THAN THREE PEOPLE IN A CREW!” Sanji seethed while giving Luffy a big lump on the head with a kick.

“My dad is one of the last surviving crew members,” Rei said, “Which is why him and I live privately and hidden from the Navy.”

“So your dad wears a mask too?” Brooke asked.

“No, he just stays in the castle kitchen,” Rei said, “No one else besides the Royal Family and myself are allowed in there. When Uncle Shanks visits, I sneak him into the kitchen using a private passageway for my dad and me.”

“Why would the Royal Family go to great lengths to keep you and your dad super safe?” Franky asked.

“That’s a long story and besides the point,” Rei said, “The point is, Uncle Shanks came to visit today. I left him and Dad in the kitchen to catch up on old times. I went up to the very top of the Wall checking in on the guard tower when I noticed your ship.”

“So you called Captain Nero to get us?” Robin guessed.

“Yes, I did,” Rei said, “I spotted your sails and I saw your symbol.”

“So you told Shanks we were coming,” Usopp said.

“I figured he’d want to know the whereabouts of the boy he sacrificed his arm for,” Rei said looking at Luffy.

“So that was him today!” Luffy said snapping his fingers.

“That reckless idiot,” Rei said with a slight frown, “After all the trouble I went through to keep him unseen, he still couldn’t resist to sneak a peak.”

“So what’s the message then?” Luffy asked.

“I don’t know,” Rei said.

“WHAT?!” Luffy cried, “How do you not know?”

“I thought you knew everything,” Zoro said sarcastically.

“He told Dad but didn’t tell me,” Rei explained hurriedly, feeling her face get a little warm from anger towards the swordsman, “His exact instructions to me was to get you on the island safely, make sure none of you see him or his ship, and then get you to Dad. Whatever message he had for you, you’ll have to ask my father.”

“YOSH!” Luffy yelled, jumping to his feet, “Let’s go see your dad!”

Rei turned to Franky and waited for him to look back at her. “I told you he’d want to come with me.”

Franky gave her a thumbs up sign and Rei gave him a small smile back. Unintentionally, her eyes met the glaring one of the swordsman’s. She had no clue how he was reacting to who she was and she was a little surprised at herself for actually caring in the first place.


	17. Cogan Jeffrey, The Scariest Chef in the World

"YOU'RE BACK!" Cogan Jeffrey cried, smothering his daughter with his giant, hairy arms and pulling her close to his equally massive chest. He had a seagull perched on his shoulder and it gave a few happy cries of support.

 _Who is this guy?,_ the Straw Hats wondered as they watched Rei struggle helplessly against her father's hold.

Finally, Rei was able to get a firm grip on Jeffrey's arms and pried them apart to create just enough space for her escape. "Sorry, we're late," Rei said.

"That's okay," Jeffrey laughed and rested a giant hand on her shoulders, "As long as you're home."

 _This is home?!_ , the Straw Hats asked themselves as they looked around at their surroundings.

They were standing in the middle of an abandoned fortress located at the bottom of the Wall. The building was drafty but spacious. It was much too large for just two people to dwell in.

It was a long walk back from the Thousand Sunny to here. They had to walk through the market, weaving in and out of backstreets and alleyways, before arriving at the entrance of the fortress. Rei had led them through the front door, into a massive hall and through several hallways. They stopped at the center of the fortress, in another large hall.

Jeffrey had greeted his daughter in their makeshift living room. It was clear this room was where Rei and Jeffrey spent most of their time. There were old, tattered flags clinging to the walls, with a couple of lit torches in between them. On the floor, the furniture was made up of decaying wood that crowded in front of a stone fireplace. The room smelled of mold, smoke from the fire, and old books, which were set on top of planks that lined just below the flags.

"Are you hungry?" Jeffrey asked his daughter, "I have dinner ready for you!"

"I'll eat in my room tonight, Dad," Rei stated, "I'm sorry but I have some work to do."

"Ah, my little genius," Jeffrey gushed and enveloped his daughter into another bear hug, "Working hard to protecting this kingdom. I'm so proud!"

"Mmmmmf ham mmmmmesss," Rei said, her face flat on his chest.

"What was that?" Jeffrey said.

"MMMF HAMM MESSSSS!" Rei said. She freed one of her arms and she pointed a finger at the Straw Hats.

"I think she's trying to say 'We have guests,'" Usopp theorized.

"OH RIGHT!" Jeffrey cried, releasing his daughter and rushing over to shake each of the Straw Hats' hand. Their hands disappearing in the large fist of his.

Cogan Jeffrey was a tall, round man, who used to be very muscular. His muscles have gone away due to long lengths of inactivity and replaced with something much softer. His hair was black and unruly and he wore a big, large white apron across his belly. It was stained but not with colors one would usually find from cooking.

"Thank you for looking out for my daughter," he said earnestly as he shook his way down the line of young pirates, "I know she is in safe hands when she's with you all. Shanks-boy speaks so highly of you."

He directed the last sentence at Luffy, who he greeted last. Jeffrey straightened up and stood with his hands on his hips, staring down at the rubber man, with a large smile on his lips.

"I can't tell you how shocked Reia and I were when he showed up missing his arm," he sighed as he looked up at the ceiling as if his memory was projected there, "Oh boy, he was always very reckless. Always made Rosa worry."

"Reia?" Sanji asked.

"Rosa?" Usopp asked.

"Rosa, my late wife," Jeffrey said airily. He was lost in his thoughts for a moment before he looked over at the sniper and pointed at Rei, "And you know Reia."

The Straw Hats blinked at the person in question, who gave them an equally blank stare back.

"Your name is Reia?" Luffy asked.

'Oh, Reia-chan," Sanji sang as he twirled his way back to Rei's side, "Of course your name would be as lovely as you."

Sanji was swiftly thrown into the air and landed back where he first started but in a crumpled heap. "I told you not to compliment me!" Rei snapped and then turned her annoyance at her father, "And don't tell them my real name! You know the policy!"

"Whoops! Sorry!" Jeffrey laughed, even though his tone did not seem apologetic in the slightest, "I'm just used to calling you Reia, that's all."

"You can call me that," Rei said pointing at him and then shifted her finger towards the Straw Hats, "But they can't!"

"What policy?" Luffy asked.

"As a safety precaution, since we don't want people to realize I'm a girl," Rei explained, "No one outside of the King and my dad calls me Reia."

"This island has a lot of policies and protocols," Robin observed.

"King Tannenbay is a careful man," Jeffrey explained, "And he hates risks."

Rei's stomach growl cut through the air and made Jeffrey jump back in surprise. "You ARE hungry! Let me get my little genius her dinner!" he cried before running out of the room.

"'My little genius'," Zoro repeated with a scoff.

Rei glared at the swordsman. "Shut up, Pirate Hunter," she snarled.

Before Zoro could think of something to snap back, Rei had already turned her back on him and walked into another room. "Jerk," Zoro grunted.

"You two really need to find a way to get along," Usopp sighed, looking at Zoro's neck, where his veins were starting to bulge.

"Who needs to get along?" Jeffrey asked, entering the room and carrying a large tray of what the Straw Hats could only guess was food.

On the tray was a plate of grey meat, a plate of burnt toast, and a bowl of soup that was not quite yellow but not quite green either.

"What is that?" Sanji asked in horror.

Chopper clamped his hooves over his sensitive nose and turned slightly green in the face. It smelled both foul and uncooked at the same time.

"Dinner!" Jeffrey said, holding up the tray proudly, "My cooking skills are really good now! I worked hours on this for Reia! Great way to start celebrating the Day of the Dead, don't you think?"

Before Sanji could even say anything else Jeffrey entered the room Rei was in and he disappeared inside, closing the door behind him.

"That's the Royal Chef?" Sanji asked in disbelief.

"He really is the scariest chef alive," Usopp said slightly bewildered.

"Now we know why they order from the vendors," Chopper said somberly.

 _That poor king,_ the Straw Hats thought in unison.

For the first time since they met, the swordsman felt pity towards the masked Know-It-All but that feeling quickly vanished. She was a pain in his neck, after all.


	18. Shanks' Message

**** “Hey, Old Man,” Luffy said out of the blue, “I have a question for you.”

They were sitting around the fireplace in the Cogans’ living room. Jeffrey was in the middle of eating his dinner, much to the dismay of the Straw Hats. It wasn’t just the look of the food but also the smell. Sanji’s head was hurting from trying to figure out what type of food preparation would cause such a monstrosity. 

Jeffrey sat in a wooden rocking chair with the plate propped up on his stomach. Zoro was sitting comfortably on a wooden bench with his legs straightened out in front of him and his back leaning against the arms of the bench. He had his eyes closed and his swords leaned against his side.

Robin was looking into the bookshelves on one side of the room to see if any books piqued her interest. Nami, Chopper, and Usopp sat together, whispering to one another. Nami was plotting on how to get into the Royal Treasury, while the other two were trying to talk her out of it. Brooke was playing his violin. The music bounced off the walls and echoed beautifully through the halls, while Franky was filling in Luffy on what happened at the hospital. 

“Hey, Old Man!” Luffy repeated. All the Straw Hats paused what they were doing and looked over at the captain.

_ Yeah, Luffy!  _ Usopp thought,  _ Ask him about the message from Shanks!  _

“I’m listening,” Jeffrey said in between bites.

“What’s with the seagull?” Luffy asked.

Usopp, although already sitting on the floor, fell flat onto it.  _ Luffy, you forgot why we’re here. Didn’t you!!! _

“This is Gully Two,” Jeffrey said, stroking the seagull perched on his shoulder, “I used to train seagulls as a hobby. That’s how I delivered letters from Shanks to his sister back in the day.” 

The seagull gave two cries to show his agreement and then rested his head against Jeffrey’s. Suddenly, Jeffrey jumped up, startling Gully Two and breaking the platel on the floor.

“Oh yeah!” He yelled, “I have a message from Shanks!”

_ He forgot too!, _ Usopp thought as his jaw dropped.

“Oh yeah!” Luffy cried, throwing his fists in the air, “What is it?!”

Jeffrey sat back down and stared into the fire, “He said…” 

“He said…?” Luffy said, eyes growing wide.

All the Straw Hats leaned slightly towards Jeffrey and waited with baited breath. 

“He said…,” Jeffrey said again.

“JUST TELL US ALREADY!” Zoro shouted, making everyone aware he was awake.

“Let me think,” Jeffrey said, causing everyone still sitting to fall out of their chairs.

_ HE DOESN’T REMEMBER!,  _ they thought in horror.

“Oh right,” Jeffrey said, snapping his fingers, “He said to me, ‘Tell Luffy that I have a message for him’.”

“WE KNOW THAT PART!” the Straw Hats yelled in unison.

“And that message is,” Jeffrey said slowly and then snapped his fingers again, “To look after Reia.”

“What?!” Zoro yelled. 

He jumped to his feet. “What does that mean? Is she joining our crew? Luffy, don’t say yes! Think about it first!”

Gully Two snapped at Jeffrey’s ear.

“Ouch! Bad Gully!” Jeffrey cried and then looked at the bird, who lifted his leg to show the note attached to it “Oh yes!!! He left a note!”

“Give it to me!” Luffy said and grabbed the note from Gully Two’s leg. 

The rubber man slowly unrolled the paper in his hand and sat down cross legged on the floor. The Straw Hats gathered around their captain. 

“What does it say?” Usopp asked.

“Read it out loud!” Nami said, trying to squeeze between Robin and Franky.

“Luffy,” Luffy started to read, “I knew Jeffrey-senpai would forget.” 

Jeffrey threw his head back and let out a loud laugh, “Ah. He’s got me there.”

“I know you understand why I haven’t made my presence on this island known to you,” Luffy continued to read, “I look forward to honoring our promise one day.”

Luffy looked up at his friend and gave a big smile to his crew members. They grinned back at him and he went back to reading the message.

“I do have a suggestion though,” Luffy said frowning a little, “Please consider accepting my niece, Reia, as part of your crew. I have a feeling you need her just as much as she needs you. You don’t have to say yes.  All I ask that you think about it. Shanks.”

The Straw Hats looked at their captain in silence.  _ Is he going to say yes?, _ they wondered.

“Whose Reia?” Luffy asked.

Three lumps formed on his head from Nami, Sanji, and Zoro.

“REI!” shouted Nami, pointing at the door to Rei’s room.

“The masked girl!” added Sanji, pointing at the door as well.

“The one who hates bounty hunters!” shouted Zoro. He followed suit but he directed his katana blade instead of his own finger.

“She hates bounty hunters?” Luffy asked. He locked eyes with his first crew member and bursted into laughter.

“What?” Zoro demanded, feeling his face get red, “What’s so funny?”

“Oh, you must hate being seen as a bounty hunter and not a swordsman,” Luffy said in between his laughter.

_ Is that what’s bugging him?, _ the rest of the Straw Hats wondered.

“She’s also an arrogant know-it-all!” Zoro shouted defensively.

_ Oy, Zoro, her dad is right there!,  _ Usopp thought, panicking a little inside as he darted a glance at Jeffrey, who was staring into the fire.

“You haven’t spent much time with her, Luffy!” Zoro continued, “She’s annoying!” 

“She’s a genius.” 

The Straw Hats stiffened and turned their attention to Jeffrey. He kept his eyes on the fireplace.

“Rei is a genius,” Jeffrey grunted softly, “Pure and simple.” 

“How is that simple?” Zoro demanded, “Why does everyone keep calling her that?!”

“Because she is,” Jeffrey stated, “And that’s why she’s the way she is.”

“Huh?” Zoro was thoroughly irritated. 

“Ever since she was little,” Jeffrey continued, “her mind has worked faster than everyone else around her. She understands things quickly. Sometimes, she doesn’t even understand it herself.” 

Jeffrey turned his chair to face the Straw Hats. “When something makes sense to her, the only explanation she can give to people is that she’s a genius. I can understand why it can be frustrating to hear but Reia struggles with it too.”

Jeffrey locked eyes with Zoro. “She behaves oddly because she doesn’t know what is normal. Most people don’t know how to act around her because they get nervous around her or they don’t like being in the dark and get angry.” 

His mind flashed back to a 4 year old Reia, with her red hair in two braids, sitting quietly in a chair. Her mom had knelt down in front her asking her what was wrong. 

“They said I’m weird and won’t play with me”, Reia had answered, “So I came home.”

He blinked away the memory and returned to the present. “Because of that, it makes her distant and cautious around people as well. Besides being a Commander and Royal Tactician, the only social cues she’s learned are from books that she studies and from the prince and princess, who don’t have much friends themselves either.” 

The crew fell silent as her behavior and mannerisms slowly started to make sense.

“Her mother would probably do a better job teaching her,” Jeffrey said sadly, tears welling up in his eyes, “But she died when Reia was still very young so I’ve had to do the best I can.”

He fell from his chair and knelt to the ground. He bowed his head at Luffy and Zoro’s feet.

“Wh-wh-wh-what are you doing?” Luffy and Zoro shouted at the large man bent over on the floor.

“Please do not take offense to her,” he pleaded, “It’s my fault. I did a poor job raising her.”

“OHHHHH!” Franky wailed, “You’re such a loving father! I like you, Old Guy! And I like your daughter too!” 

“Please get up!” Luffy said rushing over and helping Jeffrey to his feet, “We’re not offended by her at all!”

“Yeah, we think she’s great!” Usopp exaggerated, while nudging Zoro in the ribs.

“What?” Zoro whispered.

“Tell him you didn’t mean what you said,” Usopp hissed back.

“But I did mean it,” Zoro said.

“The man is begging us to give his daughter a chance,” Nami whispered, joining the conversation, “At least tell him you don’t hate her.”

“I don’t hate her,” Zoro said, now in a normal voice, surprised at what Nami was implying, “She’s annoying, yes, but I don’t hate her.”

“Is that the best you can do, Zoro?!” Usopp said, tears running down his face, “Her dad is literally begging us to be her friend.”

“Ugh! Fine!” Zoro said waving Nami and Usopp away from him. He headed towards Rei’s door.

“Where are you going?” Nami asked.

“To tell her I don’t hate her!” Zoro shouted back, “Will that make you guys happy?”

“YES!” Jeffrey said with a big smile on his face and no signs of tears at all, “That would be great!”

_ HE RECOVERED SO FAST!  _ the Straw Hats thought to themselves as Zoro entered Rei’s room.


	19. An Understanding

Zoro didn't know what he expected Rei's room to look like but he definitely knew he didn't expect to see what was in front of him.

 _This is a_ girl's _bedroom?,_ he thought. _Who would live here?_

First, there were no beds in sight. Second, the room was clearly designed as the armory for the fortress. Rusty and heavy weapons hung along the walls. There were also wooden targets next to them. The only objects remotely resembling furniture were a long plank balanced between two old sword racks to make a makeshift table and a large tree stump to serve as a chair. On the table were piles of books, sheets of paper, and the empty plates that showed that Rei had eaten everything her dad had cooked for her.

On the side of the room, there was a chess table but with no chairs on either side. Well-worn chess pieces laid out across the gameboard. The room had no windows and the only light source was a large iron chandelier that hung in the middle of the ceiling.

Rei stood in the middle of the room with her back turned to Zoro. Her cloak was off and hanging on a nail against the wall. She wore a white long sleeved yellow shirt and that was tucked into dark blue pants. She had a slim body but with well defined muscles and she wore a thick, leather utility belt around her waist.

The belt had large pockets all around it. A long chain hung out from each of the two pockets in the back and extended all the way to two wooden targets on the side of the room. Zoro's eyes followed along the chains to see the daggers at the end were lodged firmly in the center of the bullseyes.

Rei was sweating and panting for air. It was evident that she was in the middle of some sort of training. Zoro didn't know if he should say something but he knew she was aware he was in the room.

Finally he spoke, "Are you sure you want to leave that Green Cloak guy in a room unattended? I mean, what if he escapes?"

"The room is locked," she said without turning around. She was still trying to get her breath back, "And I'll deal with him when he wakes up. Your friend has a pretty powerful kick."

"The only thing he's good for," Zoro muttered.

They fell back into silence. Both struggling to figure out what to say to each other.

"I came here to tell you-" Zoro started to say.

"I wanted to say-" Rei said at the same time.

They both stopped.

"You go," Zoro said.

"No, it's okay," Rei said, pulling back the daggers, making the wooden targets splinter a little from the force, "You can go first."

She turned around and returned the chains back into the pockets behind her. The ease and speed of how she drew back in her weapons surprised Zoro. _Those chains are really heavy_ , Zoro thought to himself, _This one is stronger than she looks._

"You were saying?" Rei prompted Zoro.

Suddenly Zoro felt embarrassed, which in turn made him feel annoyed. _Why should I feel embarrassed?_ he thought to himself. _I'm just telling her I don't hate her. What's embarrassing about that?_

"I'll go first then," Rei said, snapping Zoro out of his thoughts, "I wanted to say I'm sorry."

"What?" Zoro asked.

"WHAT?!" came a chorus of voices behind the door.

Zoro kicked the door behind him, hoping that Rei didn't notice that other people were listening in on the conversation.

"I said I was sorry," Rei said a little louder.

 _Oh crap,_ Zoro thought with a grimace, _Those idiots._

"You were right," Rei continued, unfazed by her audience, "I was being hypocritical. You _were_ a bounty hunter but you aren't anymore. If I'm fighting for people to let go of my father's past, then I should extend that same courtesy to you."

Zoro was at a loss for worse. He didn't expect her to have apologized so quickly.

Rei wasn't finished with her apology though. "I'm sorry I lost my temper. I am usually very good with controlling my emotions and I let my anger cloud my judgement. I let my opinions of bounty hunters get in the way of…"

"Of...?" Zoro asked.

"Trusting you," Rei finished, "Uncle Shanks said to trust Straw Hat Luffy and his nakama. I trust my family and if my uncle says to trust you, then I should and I will."

She took a step closer to Zoro. "And you don't have to say whatever you were about to say. It's okay. We're okay."

They stood in silence, while Zoro tried to process the change in Rei. He still didn't know what to make of her. The eyes that he thought stared at him with condescension now seemed to have an air of gentleness and a little touch of innocence. When she had taken off her mask on the Thousand Sunny, he had found her to look smug and haughty but now thought her face was just a normal face of a girl. In fact, if he really was honest with himself, he even found her to be pretty. _Tch_ , he scoffed in his mind, _Have I been hanging out with the love cook too long? Get a grip, Zoro._

He sighed and broke eye contact. He went to the door and pulled it roughly towards him without warning, which caused the rest of the Straw Hats falling forward onto the floor in a pile, with Jeffrey on top.

"MMMMMMMMF!" came the muffled cries below the master of the house.

"Can you guys just let us talk?!" Zoro shouted at the pile.

"MMMMMMF!" came the muffled cries again.

"GEEEEETTTTT...OFF!"

Jeffrey and the Straw Hats were flung high above the air as Luffy pushed his way back up. His arm stretched high into the air as he gasped for breath.

"Woo!" He cried as everyone else hit the ground, "I thought I was going to die."

He stood up from his seated position, dusted off his knees, and walked over to Rei and looked at her closely.

"So," he said scratching his nose, "You're Shanks' niece."

"Yes," Rei answered.

"You're a genius," he said next.

"Yes."

"And a tactician."

"Yes."

"You saved Usopp and Chopper earlier today and you got me out of the hospital."

"Yes", Rei said, "Although, I believe the former Pirate Hunter would have saved your friends too if I weren't there. I was just a little faster."

Usopp noticed that she had said former Pirate Hunter and not just Pirate Hunter and looked over at Zoro, who was smiling a little. _Oh good, he caught that too!_

 _See? She knew I could've saved them too,_ Zoro thought unable to contain his gloating.

"Okay!" Luffy shouted, "Want to be part of our crew?"

"No," Rei said simply.

Luffy's nakamas fell to the ground. _After all that?!,_ they thought in unison.

"Rei," Jeffrey pleaded with tears in his eyes.

"Why not?!" Luffy demanded.

"I have to stay here," Rei said, "I can't leave the island."

"Why not?" Luffy pressed.

"I have things I want to protect," Rei said, "So I will not be your crew member but…"

"But?" Luffy asked.

"I can be your friend," Rei said holding out an arm stiffly towards the Straw Hat.

Luffy gave a big smile and let out a huge laugh. "You're funny. You're already a friend!"

"I should tell you though," Rei said blushing slightly and dropping her hand back down to her side. She was embarrassed at what she was about to admit. "I don't know how to be a friend."

"Just do what the other guys do," Luffy said encouragingly.

Rei took a long look at the crew behind Luffy. Finally, she marched up to Robin and said, "May I see your pants?"

Nami's punch landed on Luffy's head instantaneously, "WHAT KIND OF ADVICE IS THAT?!"

' _Cat Thief' Nami is scary,_ Rei thought with a drop of sweating coming down her forehead.

"Listen," Nami said putting an arm around Rei's shoulder, "It's really easy to be our friend."

"Nami…" Chopper started to say but was cut off when Nami shot a glare at him.

"All you have to do," Nami continued, "...Is let us into the Royal Treasury!"

"I can't do that," Rei said immediately, "That treasure belongs to the Royal Family."

"I thought you said you are a friend?" Nami complained, pretending to be hurt.

"DON'T TAKE ADVANTAGE OF HER, YOU GREEDY PSYCHO!" Zoro shouted at Nami.

"A FEW MINUTES AGO, YOU WOULDN'T HAVE CARED IF I DID!" Nami retorted, flames of anger burning in her eyes.

Rei put a finger to her chin as she contemplated the situation. "I could," Rei said, interrupting the fighting pair, "Take you to _my_ treasure room!"

Immediately the fire in Nami's eyes quickly turned into Bellis as she put her arm around Rei.

"You have a treasure room?" she cooed sweetly, "Come, show it to Big Sis Nami."

"Okay," Rei answered with no change in expression.

 _She's totally taking advantage of Rei!,_ thought the rest of the Straw Hats as they watched Rei and Nami walk out of the room like a lamb going to slaughter.


	20. the Missing Page

“All this treasure belongs to you?!” Nami squealed looking at the mountains and mountains of gold and jewels that filled up the entire room of the Cogan’s treasury.

Nami and Rei were standing in the doorway. Nami’s eyes were shining bright, while Rei wondered what Nami could possibly want with all this clutter.

“These are all gifts from warring countries I’ve helped this year,” Rei said.

“THIS YEAR?” Nami exclaimed, “You mean all of this is just from one year?!”

“I told them I didn’t want anything,” Rei said, mistaking Nami’s shock as judgement.  _ She must think I’m some sort of hoarder. _

Rei sighed. “But despite my protests, they gave me all of this. I hand everything over to King Tannenbay by the end of the year. It gets to be such a mess after a while.”

“Hand it over?!” Nami repeated, not quite registering the blasphemy that Rei had just spewed, “You mean, you don’t keep any of it?”

“I’m the Royal Tactician for King Tannenbay,” Rei stated, “He’s the king I serve under so naturally, this should go to him.”

“There’s nothing  _ natural _ about it!,” Nami protested and gestured towards the treasure with a swipe of her arm, “You can’t just  _ give _ money away.”

“It belongs more to him than me,” Rei said, “I only advised the other kings under the orders of King Tannenbay. Besides, what would I do with all this money?”

“What  _ couldn’t _ you do?!” Nami asked and then she realized something. Rei not caring about the money actually worked in her favor.

Her bafflement switched into glee. “So I can really have all of this?” Nami said with Bellis in her eyes.

“As much as you can carry out tonight,” Rei said, “The rest will go to the Royal Treasury in the morning.”

“Can I have others help me carry it?” Nami asked with a mischievous grin while stifling the urge to rub her hands together.

“Yes, but only one load each,” Rei said, “And up to two pairs of hands from Nico Robin.” 

_ Damn it!,  _ Nami thought,  _ She caught onto my plan.  _

“WHERE AM I?!” came a cry from down the hall followed by some loud banging, “LET ME OUT!” 

_ Looks like my prisoner is awake _ , Rei thought.

“Nami, I have to go interrogate the new recruit from the Web Gang,” Rei said rushing down the hall. The cat thief didn’t even budge as she only had her eyes on the gold in front of her, “Remember our deal!” 

_ Okay _ , Nami thought carefully climbing into the room,  _ Let me start by looking for the good stuff. _

* * *

Back in the living room, the rest of the Straw Hats were sitting around the fireplace with Jeffrey. They heard the banging from the prisoner as well.

“Must be that Green Cloak guy,” Zoro said out loud.

“Who?” Luffy asked, eyeing the seagull perched on Jeffrey’s shoulder.

Franky looked incredulously at his captain. “We walked the entire way from Sunny-go to this super fortress with Zoro carrying you, Luffy. How Dd you not remember?” 

“Oh yeah,” laughed Luffy.

Zoro stood up from his seat. 

“Where are you going, Marimo?” Sanji asked, puffing on a cigarette.

Zoro adjusted his swords on his side and walked across the room. “I’m going to see what she’s up to.”

“The prisoner is a ‘he’,” Usopp pointed out.

“I know,” Zoro asked looking down at the sniper, “Why? What did I say?”

“Nevermind,” Usopp said giving up on his clueless friend.

As Zoro left the room, Robin drew a leather bound book out from the bookcase she was studying and walked toward Jeffrey with the old book in her hand. It was so old and worn that it looked like it would break into little pieces if Robin handled it with a touch more force.

“I can’t believe you have a copy of this!” she breathed as she showed Jeffrey her find. It was a copy of  _ The Past, Present and Future of Beffi Island. _

“Oh, there’s a lot of old books here,” Jeffrey chuckled, “You should ask Rei about them, though. She’s read them all but I haven’t touched one.”

Suddenly, Jeffrey snapped his fingers in front of Luffy and his face turned dark and scary, “Hey! Luffy-boy! You eat my seagull, I eat you.”

Luffy jumped back startled and slightly guilty. “I’m hungry!” 

“Did you want some food?” Jeffrey said, excited to prepare a meal.

“NO!” Sanji shouted quickly jumping in, “No. I can do it. You’ve done enough. You’ve allowed us to stay here in your...er...comfortable home.”

The last words didn’t sound as convincing as Sanji tried to make it but it seemed to work with Jeffrey.

“Oh, who am I to argue with ‘Black Foot’ Sanji,” he said with a loud laugh, “Hey, do you mind if I watch you? So I can maybe pick up a few tips?”

Sanji was taken aback by the old man’s offer. “Sure! Just don’t get in my way.”

“Of course!” Jeffrey said, putting a heavy arm over Sanji’s shoulder and leading him into the kitchen.

“Hrmm, that’s odd,” Robin said as she stared at the last page of the book.

“What is?” Chopper asked, sitting next to Robin so he can peek at the book.

“I don’t remember this page,” she said, flipping the last page back and forth.

“What does it say, Robin-san?” Brook asked, intrigued by the mystery.

“Well, this book is divided into the past, present, and future of the island’s history,” Robin said turning to each chapter to prove her point, “But I remember the future portion only had one page in it, which was the poem. That’s why I remember it.” 

“But there’s a second page,” Chopper said astonished as Robin showed him the page with the poem.

“Maybe the copy I had was an incomplete one,” Robin said, deep in thought.

“What does it say?” Brook asked, “I’m dying from the suspense. Ah! Although, I’m already dead. Yohohohohohoho!” 

“In the future,” Robin read, “The island will fall into a fragile state of peace and balance that will break on the day of 1000 deaths.” 

“One thousand deaths?!” Usopp gasped, “Does that mean a war is coming?”

“Or it could’ve already happened,” Chopper offered hopefully, “This book was written in the past right?”

“But the island hasn’t been in a war,” Usopp cried, “That’s what Captain Nero told us!” 

“There’s more,” Robin said and continued reading. “Only when the Red Hair serves the king will true balance be restored to the island.” 

“The Red Hair?” Luffy asked, ears perking at the name, “Are they saying Shanks will come?”

“Captain Nero has red hair too,” Usopp pointed out, “And so does Rei.”

“But Rei already serves a king,” Chopper said.

“Then that means true balance has been restored!” Usopp said trying to sound as cheerful as possible, “Which means we won’t have any wars! Let’s all go to bed guys and not think about it!”

“Yeah!” Chopper exclaimed, “Tomorrow is going to be fun! It’ll be the Day of the Dead!” 

Suddenly, all the Straw Hats looked at each other in shock. “The day of 1000 deaths!” They cried together. 


	21. the Deal with the Navy

It would be an understatement to say that Zoro was dissatisfied with Rei's interrogation skills. He thought he was going to see the genius at work but instead he was being a witness to what could be the dumbest tactic in the world.

"Are you serious?" the Green Cloak imposter asked, looking at Rei, who had her mask and hood back on.

"Yes," she said in her faux-boy voice. "You have three choices. You can either have the former Pirate Hunter kill you..."

She paused to let her prisoner take in the image of the scowling Zoro with his three sword. She couldn’t help but wonder why he had also shot a couple of angry glances her way as well.

"Or you could eat this entire plate of food," she continued as she pushed a plate piled high of cold grey meat slabs, the Jeffrey Cogan specialty, "Or finally, you can tell me everything."

"And you'll let me go?" the Green Cloak said excitedly eyeing the piece of meat.

"Yes, well, unless you take the first choice," Rei said getting up from her seat, "We'll leave you alone for a few minutes while you decide."

She signaled to Zoro to exit the room and she followed close behind. He wordlessly obeyed and straightened from his leaning stance and exited the room. As soon as the door closed behind them though, Zoro let loose.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?" he shouted at Rei, "OF COURSE HE'S GOING TO PICK THE GREY MEAT! YOU'RE GOING TO LET HIM GET AWAY!"

Rei grabbed his arm and pulled him further down the hallway so that the prisoner wouldn't overhear what she had to say.

"I've done this before and I know what I'm doing," she said calmly and looked directly into the swordsman's good eye, "Please trust me."

The swordsman's arm, under Rei's grip, tightened as he contemplated her request. She felt the bulge of his muscle but she did not release her hold. She stared earnestly up at him so that he could see how serious she was taking the situation.

They stood there looking at each other in silence for a moment before finally Zoro jerked his arm away from her hold. He walked over to the prisoner's door and leaned on it. "Fine, we'll do it your way but I hope he picks option #1. That'll be more fun for me."

"Believe me," Rei said, as she copied his motion and leaned against the door as well, "Once he tastes my dad's cooking, there'll be a high chance he begs for you to end his misery."

"Don't you eat your dad's cooking?" Zoro asked.

"Yes, but it took 20 years of training," Rei said.

_ I can't tell if she's joking or not _ , Zoro thought,  _ It's hard enough with that stupid mask on her face but her tone is always so serious! _

"I've made my decision!" the prisoner called out after a few minutes had gone by.

The two entered into the room. The Green Cloak was slightly green in the face and there was tiny bite missing from the meat slab at the top of the pile.

"I"ll tell you everything!" the man cried, "Just get that horrible thing out of here!"

Zoro glanced over at Rei but she didn't look at him. Her focus was entirely on her key to the Web Gang.

"Okay," she said, sitting in the seat across from the Green Cloak, "You know who I am but I don't know who you are."

"My name is Eto," the guy said.

"Eto what?" Rei said. She sensed his hesitation and pushed the plate of meat closer to him.

He gulped and said in a hurried voice, "Clayton Eto."

"Huh?" Zoro said leaning in closer from where he was standing.

"Clayton Eto?" Rei said, not showing any sense of surprise or shock, although inside her heart was beating fast, "Are you related to Dr. Clayton?"

"Yes, he's my father," Eto confessed.

"Your father is working with the Web Gang."

"Yes," Eto said not realizing Rei said it more to herself and not directing a question at him.

"Why?" Rei asked, "He's a doctor with a good reputation and trusted by the entire island. We even send him over to the Navy side at times to treat their sick."

"That's why," Eto said gritting his teeth in frustration tears starting to form in his eyes, "That's why he's working for Tarantula."

"What do you mean?" Rei asked.

"My brother was a marine," Eto said the tears now streaming down his face, "He was a strong fighter that was recruited from the Navy. And then…"

Rei knew where this was going but she remained silent and waited for Eto to finish his story, "And then he got killed by pirates last year."

"How come I don't recall meeting your brother?" Rei asked Eto, "I've met all the trainees on this island. I don't remember a Clayton."

"He registered under a different name," Eto said through his tears, "His name was Clayton Marin but he registered under -"

"Marin Eto," Rei said finishing Eto's sentence, the young recruit's face flashing back into her memory, "Yes, I remember him."

They sat in silence for awhile as Rei took a moment of silence for the the fallen marine, who was the same age as her, if she remembered correctly. Eto sat there crying, while Zoro resisted the urge to sit down on the floor. His leg was getting stiff.  _ How much longer is this going to take?, _ he thought impatiently.

"So why does Dr. Clayton want to work for Tarantula? What does that have to with your brother's death?" Rei asked, refocusing her attention on the purpose of this interrogation.

"Tarantula promised him that if Dr. Clayton helped him, he would make sure he worked only on the Navy side for the rest of his life and never have to treat pirates again," Eto said.

"How can Tarantula promise something like that?" Rei asked, "Does he have the power to make that decision?"

"Not yet but Tarantula has a deal with the Navy," Eto said.

Rei's stomach turned. "What's the deal?"

"If he can deliver 1000 pirates to the Navy by tomorrow then…"

"Then what?" Rei asked, using all of her willpower to sound calm and not alarmed.

"Then the Navy will help Tarantula overthrow the king and his high commanders."

"WHAT?!" Rei couldn't control it anymore. At the mention of the king and her fellow commanders, she lost it. She was about to leap out of her chair when she felt Zoro's hand on her shoulder, holding her down. She looked up at him and to see him glaring down at her. He was angry at her again. And again, she didn't know why.

_ You told me to trust you, so I am _ , Zoro tried to say with his eyes as he scowled down at the masked commander,  _ So do your job and don't lose your cool. _

Rei broke her eye contact with Zoro and cleared her throat. "Why would the Navy make a deal like that?" Rei asked Eto, although deep down she already knew where this was headed.

"Because of the Summit War," Eto said.

Rei sat in silence for a moment. She felt a pressure in the bottom of her stomach and then Eto voiced her worst fear.

"Because you refused to help the World Government, the Navy wants to overthrow the king and put in place someone who will do more for the Navy."

Zoro's hand was still holding Rei down so he felt her body tense up from the last statement. In response, he tightened his grip on her shoulder but the Know It All didn't seem to notice. She sat in painful silence as the minutes dragged on.

_ Is this all my fault?,  _ she thought, _ Did I put everyone in danger? _


	22. 1000 Pirates

"How can someone keep 1000 pirates hidden?" Zoro blurted out.

He had been standing silently much longer than he wanted to and all he wanted was for this guy to tell Rei everything he knew fast. He was annoyed at Rei for asking so many questions and annoyed at himself for not catching all the details.

All he got out of it was some bug guy was plotting with the Navy to attack the king and it somehow involves 1000 pirates being sent to them like a present. He knew bad news when he heard it, though. Even the semi-robotic Know-It-All was showing signs of panic so then it must be really bad news.

"If 1000 pirates suddenly went missing on the island," Zoro continued, "Wouldn't someone notice?"

"Sleep medicine," Rei answered before Eto could even open his mouth, "He gave some to Luffy earlier today. He was able to control the dosage and timed it so that Luffy would wake up only after I questioned them. Being the Chief of Medicine, he's probably able to keep a lot of people asleep in that hospital without anyone really knowing. The majority of his patients are pirates so it must've been easy for Dr. Clayton to get 1000 bodies."

_ Genius _ , Zoro thought and then he realized who he was directing that compliment to, _ Damn it. _

"How was Tarantula going to move all the pirates over to the Navy side?" Rei asked, "Even with everyone being in masks tomorrow, it would still be odd to see 1000 unconscious masked men being moved on the street."

"We have a couple of ships ready," Eto said quietly, "They're in Pirates' Harbor. My father and some members from the Web Gang have been moving the pirates there one by one for the past few months."

"No wonder Dr. Clayton tried to stop me from taking Straw Hat Luffy," Rei said.

"He would've been a nice gift to the Navy," Zoro agreed.

"But how will the ship get to the other side of the Navy? Our patrolmen inspect all the ships coming in and out of the docks to make sure bounty hunters are not smuggling pirates off the island," Rei asked.

"Tarantula has a patrolmen unit working for him," Eto said, "And they're timed to be on that shift when the ship sets sail."

"How can he time it?" Rei asked, "The schedules are created by the Commanders!"

"Some of them are working for him too," Eto said.

Rei's eyes widened at the extent of Tarantula's network. She knew he had strong connections but she never thought it would reach this high up! Her mind quickly scanned through the list of Commanders and couldn't see any of them betraying the king.

Doru was the king's personal body guard. The King was careful to put someone he trusts in that position. Salo was the oldest member in the group and he had been with King since the start of his reign. That left Mira, who was the other female commander. Sure, Rei disliked her but that was just because she hated the way Mira flirted with Doru so openly all the time. There was a time and place for that and it was definitely not in front of Rei. Otherwise, the woman was just as loyal and responsible as the rest of them. To be fair, the only odd one out was Rei, who never spent too much time with anybody.

She shook her head and cleared her mind to the issue at hand. She turned her attention back to her prisoner. "Do you know who Tarantula is?"

"No, I've never met him," Eto admitted, "I'm too new to be getting directions directly from him. Usually some older gang member would tell me what to do."

"What can you tell us about Tarantula?" Rei asked.

"I don't know," Eto said shaking his head, "I've never met the guy or spoken directly to him."

"What about indirectly?" Rei asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Have you ever heard his voice or overhear a private conversation?" Rei pressed.

"Yes, I've heard his voice when he calls my dad," Eto admitted.

"What does it sound like?" Rei asked.

"To be honest, he kind of sounds like two different people but with the same voice, if that makes sense."

The blood seemed to have drained from Rei's face. She took a deep breath and stood up. She turned her back away from Eto and towards the door. Her mask suddenly felt stifling and her forehead began to sweat.

Zoro saw that her neck had turned pale.  _ Does she know who he’s talking about? _

Still facing the door, Rei continued to talk. "Thank you, Eto. You've been a great help but I'm afraid I'll need you to tell all of this to one more person."

"Who?" Eto asked.

"The King."

Before Eto could protest, Rei had left the room, leaving the door wide open. Zoro hurriedly followed behind her and shut the door so that the prisoner could not get out. “Oy, Know It All!” he shouted as caught up to her.

Her mask came off with a flick of her wrist and she let in a little gasp. Zoro positioned himself so he was directly in front of her. He put his hands on his shoulders and that’s when he realized she was in a slight daze. He shook her roughly as he scowled at her.

“Oy! Know It All! What’s going on?!” Zoro demanded.

“You need to leave,” she whispered, “All of you. It’s not safe here. Not anymore.”

“Huh?! What are you talking about? Are you thinking clearly?”

That seemed to hit a nerve and Rei’s head snapped up to glare up at the swordsman. Her eyes refocused and it gleamed with a mix of anger and determination. “I’m always thinking clearly.”

She shrugged his hands off his shoulders and made her way into the living room to talk to the others.

_ What is with this girl? _ , Zoro thought to himself exasperatedly.


	23. Rei's Breaking Point

**** “WHAT?!” the Straw Hats cried when they were all gathered back into the living room.

Nami had huge piles of gold and jewels stacked up around her while Luffy and Jeffrey were digging into Sanji’s heavenly cooking. Rei’s mask and hood were off but her cloak still hung around her shoulders. She was prepared to fight.

“We can’t leave now!” Chopper cried, “We’ll miss the festival!”

“Day of the 1000 deaths, Chopper!” Usopp hissed, “Day of 1000 deaths…”

“You need to leave,” Rei said after telling them her plan, “It’s not safe for you here anymore. King Tannenbay and I will try to stop the ships from getting to the Navy side but I just can’t risk having you guys here in case we fail.”

She didn’t need Madame Cecilia or the king’s heightened Observation Haki to figure out what’s about to happen. Danger was just around the corner and she knew that with every fiber of her body. She needed to get the Straw Hats out of this island. This was not their problem and they did not need to get involved.

“But what about you?” Robin asked, still holding the book, “Aren’t you risking your life? And what if they find you, Jeffrey-San. Wouldn’t the Navy execute you with you being a member of Gol D. Roger’s crew?”

‘I’m a Commander of Split Island,” Rei said, “It is my duty.” 

“We owe it to the Royal Family,” Jeffrey said in between bites without showing any signs of worry.

“Come with us!” Luffy said to Jeffrey, “It’ll be fun! You and your Seagull can be part of our crew!”   
  


“STOP ASKING PEOPLE!” Nami, Sanji, and Zoro screamed at their captain.

“We can’t,” Jeffrey said, “We need to stay here and protect the Royal Family. It’ll be fine. Rei has a plan!” 

“But,” Nami pointed out, “I don’t get the plan. Why does the Royal Family have to come down here?”

“It’s the safest place I know,” Rei said, “This fortress is at the base of the Wall. There is a secret stairwell within the Wall that connects this fortress to the castle. Only myself, my dad, and the king know the route.”

“So if someone did plan on taking down the king, they wouldn’t be able to find him or his family,” Usopp said, “I see.”

“So you know who the bug guy is, right?” Luffy said, devouring food one after another and showing no signs of previously suffering from food poisoning, “Why can’t you find him and kick his ass?”

“Because,” Rei said, “He has some upper level commanders working for him. Even if I take down Tarantula, I wouldn’t know who was betraying the king this whole time. I don’t know who to trust.”

“You can trust us,” Luffy said gulping down food.

Rei was startled by the rubber man’s statement.  _ Did he not hear what I just said? _

“LUFFY,” Usopp hissed at his captain, “She just told us to leave. She doesn’t need us. We’ll be in the way. Come on!”

“Can’t we at least get this all on the ship first?” Nami said, gesturing at her collection.

“You guys shouldn’t be here! There’s-,” Rei started to say assertively.

Luffy yawned and stretched, which caught Rei even more off guard. He scratched his nose nonchalantly. “Will we be fighting some strong guys?” Luffy asked Zoro.

“Seems that way,” Zoro replied as he adjusted the swords at his side. He smiled in anticipation as he felt the hilts between his fingers, “This could be fun.”

Sanji sighed, taking a deep drag of his cigarette, as he walked across the room towards Rei. “A lady is in trouble,” he said and he placed a reassuring hand on Rei’s shoulder, “You can pretend to be calm but I know a lady in panic when I see one.” 

“I am NOT panicking!” Rei shouted pushing his hand away from her. She jumped back away from the group to create some distance so hopefully they could see, and more importantly, hear her better, “Didn’t I say I have a plan? Didn’t I tell you guys to escape now or else you might be in danger? Why won’t you guys leave me alone?! You heard my Uncle’s message. I already said I’m not coming with you so just  _ go _ !”

Her last words echoed and bounced along the stone walls. Her fists were clenched tightly to her side as she casted a stern gaze around the room. A look all the Cloaks knew meant “just follow orders and don’t ask me questions”. 

“You said we’re friends,” Luffy said standing up and brushing the crumbs off his knees.

Rei blinked. “What?” 

“I thought you said you’re our friend,” Luffy repeated as he grinned at Rei.

“We are,” Rei said slowly, unsure of the captain’s point, “That’s why I’m telling you to leave this island now. To save your lives.”

“Our lives don’t need saving,” Luffy said and he turned to Rei’s father, who was continuing to eat his food as if they were having an ordinary dinner conversation, “Hey, old guy, do you mind if we stay here a little longer?” 

“Not at all,” Jeffrey said between bites, “Stay as long as you want.”

“Okay! We’ll stay here for the night,” Luffy cried triumphantly to his crew.

“YOSH!” Franky said giving a thumbs up sign.

“But…” Rei said softly as she struggled to find a way to convince her new friends to leave her. They needed to get away from danger. How is she supposed to protect them if they didn’t even listen to her?!

“Okay, no time to waste, everyone grab as much gold as you can. Make your way to the Sunny and then come immediately back, okay?” Nami ordered.

“WHAT?!” the rest of the Straw Hats protested.

“DO IT NOW!” Nami yelled at them, her eyes turning into flames and fangs appearing in her teeth. The crew sprang into action. They scurried around the living room, pushing Nami’s treasure into empty sacks as fast as they could in order not to incur her wrath.

“Don’t forget, Robin, two extra pairs of hands only!” Nami called out from behind them as she watched their progress.

“Yosh!” her nakama called back.

“Why are you guys listening to her but me?” Rei asked softly at first but her tone got louder and louder as she talked, “Why aren’t you guys leaving? I told you guys it’s dangerous. I told you guys I have plan so why? WHY ARE YOU GUYS PUTTING YOURSELF IN UNNECESSARY DANGER?”  Rei screamed her last sentence and immediately covered her face with her hands in frustration. She had finally reached her breaking point.

It was all too much. Everything she held dear to heart, everyone she promised she’d protect, and her entire world seems to be in danger. And now, the only group she knew she could save, her newfound friends, won’t even listen to her! 

_ It’s all my fault, _ Rei thought. Her body trembled as the situation overwhelmed her,  _ I had made the decision not to involve our fighters in the War of the Best. I was the one that brought the Straw Hats into our lives. It’s all my fault and I need to fix it. I have to fix it!  _  She sank down to her knees feeling powerless and weak but she didn’t cry. She hadn’t let a single tear fall since her mother died.

Suddenly she felt an arm around her shoulder, then another arm, and then another. She looked up to see the smiles of Nico Robin, Chopper, and Nami as they helped her to her feet.

“Sorry,” Nami said with a smile, “Our captain sucks at listening.”

“When Luffy sets his mind on something,” Robin added, “He won’t budge from it.”

“We’re going to stay and help,” Chopper said encouragingly.

Rei looked at each of them as they continued to hold onto her arms even when she stood perfectly fine without their help. She then looked at the Straw Hats behind them from Sanji, Franky, Brook, and then Luffy. All of them met her eyes without any look of worry or fear. Finally, her eyes set on Zoro, who was leaning against the wall at the back of the room. 

He had the same expression as when they were back outside the prisoner's doorway but now it was Rei's turn to give the same look back. She had asked him to trust in her and he did. Her heart and her mind started to calm down and her eyes grew intense as she stared at the swordsman. _ Okay, I’ll trust you. _

**Chapter 24 - Straw Hats on the Move. Rei’s Plan in Action**

“You have to get Queen Adela and your children,” Rei repeated calmly but firmly as she stood in front of the king with Chopper, in his big form, holding Eto next to her, “And you have to leave now.” 

King Tannenbay sat at his desk silently. He hadn’t said a word during Eto and Rei’s full report and he hadn’t even looked up once. He had sat there the entire time with his palms together, stuck under his chin, staring out in front of him, as if he was praying.

Finally his hands dropped and he looked up at Rei. “No.”

“What?” Chopper cried. Rei had finally made peace with the Straw Hats staying and she even formed a plan for them, giving each of them tasks.

_ Did Rei go through all that work for nothing?!  _ Chopper thought in horror.

Rei had asked each crew member to give her a brief summary of their abilities and background before her and Chopper headed to the castle with Eto in tow. The Straw Hats were all amazed at how fast she digested the information given and how easily she applied it so that each person’s task was based on their strengths and weaknesses. The plan she created was tailor made to them and it fit them like a glove. 

The rest of the Straw Hats were off getting ready. Well, at least, they will start preparations after they come back from putting Nami’s gold on the ship. Rei had to promise that the navigator could get another bag of gold since Rei had to take Chopper with her to the castle. Zoro had shot a death glare between the two bartering women, as he was carrying the largest of the loads and he knew that extra bag of gold would be assigned to him.

“I am not retreating from my castle until it is absolutely necessary,” King Tannenbay said, “And my family will not either. We are the Royal Family. If we flee now, we abandon our people in the time of need.”

“But you are not fleeing,” Rei countered, “You’re moving to the bottom of the Wall, which is technically still part of the castle. You are putting your family at risk and you know it.”

“I already said-” King Tannenbay said.

“You can stay,” Rei interrupted as she tried to compromise with the king, “But your family needs to get to a safe place. You heard Eto and you  _ know _ who he is referring to.” 

The King fell back into silence. 

“You have always been a cautious man,” Rei continued, “And you’ve taught me to never let pride get in the way so why are you doing that now?”

The King’s fist banged down hard on the table. Both Eto and Chopper jumped back but Rei stayed calm as if nothing happened. 

“I am  _ not _ letting my pride get in the way,” he yelled before taking a deep breath. 

He looked at the young tactician, who stood in front of him. Her chin was raised and her eyes shined with determination. She was not going to take no for an answer.

_ Just like her mother,  _ the king thought to himself.

Her eyes showed wisdom that only came from loss and grief. It was something one should not have at such a young age. He took a deep breath as he relaxed his stance and he smiled apologetically at his protege, “I am letting  _ anger _ get in my way.”

He stood up. “I’m sorry. You are right. It is logical for me to evacuate my family given these circumstances.”

“When I heard the news, I reacted emotionally too,” Rei admitted, “It really is a hard pill to swallow.”

“That  _ man _ ,” the king spat, “Has been with us for years. Crawling behind our backs and smiling to our faces.”

His fists started to clench but the king fought hard not to let his rage take over again. His mind needed to be clear without any distractions.

“I know,” Rei said softly.

“You never trusted him,” the king said, “I should’ve listened to you.”

“If that’s the case, there won’t be anyone on the island you would trust,” Rei said.

“Except you trust him?” the king asked pointing at Chopper.

“This is Dr. Chopper,” Rei said as she stood a little closer to the Straw Hat pirate, “He’s a reindeer from Drum Island. He ate the Hito Hito no Mi  and was trained as a doctor there. He might seem young but he’s better than most doctors twice his age.” 

“Shut up, you jerk,” Chopper squealed and then he immediately stopped because he realized he needed to look confident and reliable in front of the king.

“He’ll be able to look after Queen Adela,” Rei said.

“Y-y-yes,” Chopper agreed, “Rei filled me in on her condition.”

Although, if he was to be honest, he was actually worried about how he would be of any help. Rei had told him everything he needed to know when they were making their way up the castle but he had never actually seen anyone, much less treated them for low Haki.

“Queen Adela is a Transferable Haki user,” Rei had explained as they rushed up the secret stairwell to the castle, “But many years ago, when trying to save someone, she lost control and transferred too much. Her life’s not in danger. She was able to give birth to the princess after the accident but she still tires easily and needs to be under constant care.” 

“Who did she try to save?” Chopper asked.

“My mother.” 

Chopper wanted to ask more but he felt like it was not the time to ask more about it. Rei already reached her breaking point back in the fortress and he didn’t want her to send her over the edge again. 

“And my children?” The King asked, snapping Chopper back to the present.

“They’ll be safe with the Straw Hats,” Rei said, “Although, I feel like it is my duty to warn you that the princess and the prince are planning to dress as civilians to celebrate on the streets with the island.” 

“Let them,” the king said, “And have a couple of the Straw Hats watch over them.”

“What?” Rei said, shocked, “But-”

“They’re safer if they aren’t panicking,” the king said, “I don’t know why  _ both _ my children lack total emotional control. It seems you are the only person who I’ve successfully taught and you aren’t even my own child.”

“I’m a genius,” Rei said.

“That definitely does help,” The king said before continuing on, “And since you have so much trust in the Straw Hats, I’m to believe they are strong enough to keep my children out of immediate danger.”

“I’ll send Zoro and Nico Robin then,” Rei replied, “They are strong in both close and long distance combat so they will be the best for this job.” 

_ Strong? Yes,  _ Chopper thought gulping a little,  _ Good with children? I’m not so sure. _

He silently prayed to God to magically give Zoro and Robin the ability to handle the prince and princess.  _ Extra for Zoro _ , he added before he closed out his prayer.

“And then what about the rest of the Straw Hats?” The King said, “I trust you already implemented a plan for all of them.”

“Yes,” Rei reported, “Their captain, Straw Hat Luffy, will go with the Green Coats to find the ships, along with two of his men, Franky, a cyborg with nipple lights, and Brook, a skeleton swordsman who likes pants.” 

_ You didn’t need to add those details, Rei, _ Chopper thought with a sweat drop.

“Based on Eto’s information, there are three ships carrying the pirates,” Rei continued, “As long as one of them finds and stops one ship, the deal will be off since the deal was for 1000 pirates exactly. Of course, we’re aiming to stop all three but the mission will considered a success if we stop just one.” 

The King nodded in agreement. “What about ‘Black Foot’ Sanji? He’s pretty strong, isn’t he? Why is he not out there searching for the ships?”

“He is strong but he’ll stay behind in the fortress. He will help my father prepare the meals for you and your family,” Rei said, “I am confident that the food poisoning was meant for you, Your Majesty, so I won’t risk you eating any food that hasn’t been prepared by someone I can trust.”

“How do you know that?” The King asked.

“I don’t have any evidence yet but I know that one of your meals today was scheduled to be meatballs. I believe someone was to make you sick enough that you are not fully alert tomorrow,” Rei theorized.

“Do you think Commande Doru is working for the Web Gang?” the king asked.

“I don’t know what to think,” Rei answered, “Which is why I need you to secretly move your family down to the fortress tonight. You and I will come back for our usual morning meeting with the three other commanders and Prime Minister as if nothing has happened. We’ll figure out their alliances then.” 

“How?” The King asked.

  
“I have a plan,” Rei said, “But you’re not going to like it.” 


	24. Straw Hats on the Move! Rei's Plan in Action.

“You have to get Queen Adela and your children,” Rei repeated calmly but firmly as she stood in front of the king with Chopper, in his big form, holding Eto next to her, “And you have to leave now.” 

King Tannenbay sat at his desk silently. He hadn’t said a word during Eto and Rei’s full report and he hadn’t even looked up once. He had sat there the entire time with his palms together, stuck under his chin, staring out in front of him, as if he was praying.

Finally his hands dropped and he looked up at Rei. “No.”

“What?” Chopper cried. Rei had finally made peace with the Straw Hats staying and she even formed a plan for them, giving each of them tasks.

Did Rei go through all that work for nothing?! Chopper thought in horror.

Rei had asked each crew member to give her a brief summary of their abilities and background before her and Chopper headed to the castle with Eto in tow. The Straw Hats were all amazed at how fast she digested the information given and how easily she applied it so that each person’s task was based on their strengths and weaknesses. The plan she created was tailor made to them and it fit them like a glove. 

The rest of the Straw Hats were off getting ready. Well, at least, they will start preparations after they come back from putting Nami’s gold on the ship. Rei had to promise that the navigator could get another bag of gold since Rei had to take Chopper with her to the castle. Zoro had shot a death glare between the two bartering women, as he was carrying the largest of the loads and he knew that extra bag of gold would be assigned to him.

“I am not retreating from my castle until it is absolutely necessary,” King Tannenbay said, “And my family will not either. We are the Royal Family. If we flee now, we abandon our people in the time of need.”

“But you are not fleeing,” Rei countered, “You’re moving to the bottom of the Wall, which is technically still part of the castle. You are putting your family at risk and you know it.”

“I already said-” King Tannenbay said.

“You can stay,” Rei interrupted as she tried to compromise with the king, “But your family needs to get to a safe place. You heard Eto and you know who he is referring to.” 

The King fell back into silence. 

“You have always been a cautious man,” Rei continued, “And you’ve taught me to never let pride get in the way so why are you doing that now?”

The King’s fist banged down hard on the table. Both Eto and Chopper jumped back but Rei stayed calm as if nothing happened. 

“I am not letting my pride get in the way,” he yelled before taking a deep breath. 

He looked at the young tactician, who stood in front of him. Her chin was raised and her eyes shined with determination. She was not going to take no for an answer.

Just like her mother, the king thought to himself.

Her eyes showed wisdom that only came from loss and grief. It was something one should not have at such a young age. He took a deep breath as he relaxed his stance and he smiled apologetically at his protege, “I am letting anger get in my way.”

He stood up. “I’m sorry. You are right. It is logical for me to evacuate my family given these circumstances.”

“When I heard the news, I reacted emotionally too,” Rei admitted, “It really is a hard pill to swallow.”

“That man,” the king spat, “Has been with us for years. Crawling behind our backs and smiling to our faces.”

His fists started to clench but the king fought hard not to let his rage take over again. His mind needed to be clear without any distractions.

“I know,” Rei said softly.

“You never trusted him,” the king said, “I should’ve listened to you.”

“If that’s the case, there won’t be anyone on the island you would trust,” Rei said.

“Except you trust him?” the king asked pointing at Chopper.

“This is Dr. Chopper,” Rei said as she stood a little closer to the Straw Hat pirate, “He’s a reindeer from Drum Island. He ate the Hito Hito no Mi and was trained as a doctor there. He might seem young but he’s better than most doctors twice his age.” 

“Shut up, you jerk,” Chopper squealed and then he immediately stopped because he realized he needed to look confident and reliable in front of the king.

“He’ll be able to look after Queen Adela,” Rei said.

“Y-y-yes,” Chopper agreed, “Rei filled me in on her condition.”

Although, if he was to be honest, he was actually worried about how he would be of any help. Rei had told him everything he needed to know when they were making their way up the castle but he had never actually seen anyone, much less treated them for low Haki.

“Queen Adela is a Transferable Haki user,” Rei had explained as they rushed up the secret stairwell to the castle, “But many years ago, when trying to save someone, she lost control and transferred too much. Her life’s not in danger. She was able to give birth to the princess after the accident but she still tires easily and needs to be under constant care.” 

“Who did she try to save?” Chopper asked.

“My mother.” 

Chopper wanted to ask more but he felt like it was not the time to ask more about it. Rei already reached her breaking point back in the fortress and he didn’t want her to send her over the edge again. 

“And my children?” The King asked, snapping Chopper back to the present.

“They’ll be safe with the Straw Hats,” Rei said, “Although, I feel like it is my duty to warn you that the princess and the prince are planning to dress as civilians to celebrate on the streets with the island.” 

“Let them,” the king said, “And have a couple of the Straw Hats watch over them.”

“What?” Rei said, shocked, “But-”

“They’re safer if they aren’t panicking,” the king said, “I don’t know why both my children lack total emotional control. It seems you are the only person who I’ve successfully taught and you aren’t even my own child.”

“I’m a genius,” Rei said.

“That definitely does help,” The king said before continuing on, “And since you have so much trust in the Straw Hats, I’m to believe they are strong enough to keep my children out of immediate danger.”

“I’ll send Zoro and Nico Robin then,” Rei replied, “They are strong in both close and long distance combat so they will be the best for this job.” 

Strong? Yes, Chopper thought gulping a little, Good with children? I’m not so sure.

He silently prayed to God to magically give Zoro and Robin the ability to handle the prince and princess. Extra for Zoro, he added before he closed out his prayer.

“And then what about the rest of the Straw Hats?” The King said, “I trust you already implemented a plan for all of them.”

“Yes,” Rei reported, “Their captain, Straw Hat Luffy, will go with the Green Coats to find the ships, along with two of his men, Franky, a cyborg with nipple lights, and Brook, a skeleton swordsman who likes pants.” 

You didn’t need to add those details, Rei, Chopper thought with a sweat drop.

“Based on Eto’s information, there are three ships carrying the pirates,” Rei continued, “As long as one of them finds and stops one ship, the deal will be off since the deal was for 1000 pirates exactly. Of course, we’re aiming to stop all three but the mission will considered a success if we stop just one.” 

The King nodded in agreement. “What about ‘Black Foot’ Sanji? He’s pretty strong, isn’t he? Why is he not out there searching for the ships?”

“He is strong but he’ll stay behind in the fortress. He will help my father prepare the meals for you and your family,” Rei said, “I am confident that the food poisoning was meant for you, Your Majesty, so I won’t risk you eating any food that hasn’t been prepared by someone I can trust.”

“How do you know that?” The King asked.

“I don’t have any evidence yet but I know that one of your meals today was scheduled to be meatballs. I believe someone was to make you sick enough that you are not fully alert tomorrow,” Rei theorized.

“Do you think Commande Doru is working for the Web Gang?” the king asked.

“I don’t know what to think,” Rei answered, “Which is why I need you to secretly move your family down to the fortress tonight. You and I will come back for our usual morning meeting with the three other commanders and Prime Minister as if nothing has happened. We’ll figure out their alliances then.” 

“How?” The King asked.

“I have a plan,” Rei said, “But you’re not going to like it.”


	25. Meeting the Royal Family

****“This is where you _live?!”_ Princess Mirabelle asked, wrinkling her nose in disdain.

She was already in a grumpy mood from having to wake up in the middle of the night. It didn’t help that her father insisted for her to be quiet the entire way and they had to sneak around their own castle as if they were criminals. Now she had to spend the night in this drabby fortress where there were no bright colors or flowers in sight.

_ Yes, _ she thought to herself, _ I’m in hell. _

Prince Ellis poked her hard with his elbow, knowing full well what his sister was thinking. He plastered a gracious smile on his face and kept nudging Mirabelle until she did the same. “Thank you for letting us stay here, Jeffrey-san,” he said nodding politely to Jeffrey and then turning towards his mother, who was being carried by Chopper, “And giving up your bed for Mother-sama. We really appreciate your sacrifice.”

Queen Adela gave a small smile. Her head resting against Chopper’s chest and her long blonde curls falling past his arms.  It was clear that both Ellis and Mirabelle took after her in her looks with their matching almond shaped blue eyes and delicate cheekbones. The queen was pale and delicate but regal. Even in just a nightgown and fur cloak, she still gave off an air of nobility and elegance.

“Of course,” Jeffrey said with a big smile to  the queen, “Anything for Adela-chan!” 

“You’re too friendly with the queen,” Rei said to her father, “Where are your manners?”

“It’s okay,” Jeffrey said, waving his daughter off with a big laugh, “Adela-chan is fine with it!” 

“Don’t speak for Mother-sama!” the prince and princess shouted at the chef.

Queen Adela gave a small laugh followed by a harsh cough, “It’s fine. He can call me that. It’s too late now to break old habits.”

“See?” Jeffrey said proudly to the younger generation with his hands on his hips, “You brats stay out of our way.” 

“Let me take you to your room, Queen Adela,” Rei said motioning for Chopper to follow her.

“Wait!” Princess Mirabelle called out, “Where am  _ I  _ supposed to sleep?” 

No one answered her and she felt frustrated.   _ Where were the new friends Rei promised?, _ she thought,  _ She said we were going to be somewhere fun. _

As if on cue, the scruffiest and oddest group the princess had ever seen came bounding into the room. They were all shouting and arguing with each other and their voices bounced along the walls of fortress.

“Oy, Nami!” an angry man with green hair shouted as he rubbed the back of his neck, “I was already carrying the biggest bag. Why did I have to take yours too? I’m not carrying anything for you next time.”

“Think of it as training. TRAINING!” a woman with orange hair yelled back, “Think of it as working out your arm muscles, you meathead!” 

“SANJI!” a boy in a straw hat called out, “FOOD! FOOD!’

“HOW ARE YOU STILL HUNGRY?” a blonde man with ornately shaped eyebrows snapped.

“I just want to sleep,” whined a man with bushy black hair and an extremely long nose.

"It is getting late," commented a tall, black haired woman. She seemed to be the only calm one in the bunch.

"I'm super tired too!" said someone that the princess did not think was human. No man could possibly have a metal nose, two giant spheres for shoulders, and run around comfortably while wearing a tight swimsuit.

But what really made the princess scream and jump behind her brother for protection was the last person in the group to make it's way in. Although "person" was an operative word since it was just a walking skeleton with a huge afro.

"What?" Prince Ellis asked his sister. He was busy talking to Jeffrey-san before the rude interruption. 

"L-l-l-l-look," the princess stammered pointing a shaking finger at Brook.

"WHAT IS THAT?!" the prince cried as his eyes fell on the afro. He leapt in front of Mirabelle and held out his arms to shield his sister.

Their outburst attracted the attention of the Straw Hats.

“Who is that?” Luffy asked, scratching his head.

“Idiot!” Nami said punching his head, “Obviously, it’s the prince and princess! They’re wearing crowns!”

“And Rei-chan told us they’d be here!” Sanji added, as he also dealt a blow to his captain’s skull, “Honestly, what  _ do _ you pay attention to?”

“Sorry, Your Royal Highnesses,” Brook said bowing politely, “I did not mean to scare you to death. Although, I, myself, am dead. Yohohohohoho!”

“Don’t mind him,” Usopp said trying to calm the royal siblings down as the Straw Hats approached them, “It’s a long story but he’s harmless.” 

The princess poked her head out from behind her brother and she looked at these newcomers. They stared right back at her.

“Are you my new friends?” she asked timidly.

“Huh?” The Straw Hats asked.

“Rei-rei said I’d meet new friends here,” she said stepping out next to her brother, biting her lip.

“Yes, we’re friends with, er, ‘Rei-Rei’ too,” Usopp said offering a nervous smile to the young princess.

A big smile spread across the princess’ face as she leapt up and gave a big hug to the closest person in the group, which happened to be Franky’s head, “YAY!!! I’ve always wanted new friends!” 

“OW! You can jump super high, princess,” Franky said, pulling the princess off of him and letting her dangle off of his arm.

She grinned back at him, showing her perfect teeth. The cyborg lifted his sunglasses off of his head to inspect the girl before returning her smile with his own.

“Hello,” the prince said. He bowed very formally to the group. “I am Prince Ellis. This is my sister Princess Mirabelle. Thank you very much for your generosity.”

“Generosity?” Luffy asked scratching his head.

“Yes, Rei has told us that you would be protecting my sister and I tomorrow during the Day of the Dead,” Ellis said.

“Did she tell you about our reward?” Nami asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Oy, Nami!” Usopp whispered, “This is not the time to hustle a prince. If Rei finds out-”

Nami’s glare silenced Usopp and she quickly changed into a smiling face when she turned back to face the prince.

“Reward?” the prince asked.

“Yes, she said that I would be able to take a few things from the Royal Treasury when the day is over,” she said, lying through her teeth.

“Rei didn’t mention that,” the prince said, “...But she did say that I should tell her if someone mentioned the Royal Treasury. She said there’s a thief in the area who already has taken many things and has a ship filled with stolen goods already. Rei said she’ll arrest the thief if she ever finds the ship.” 

_ SHE TRAPPED ME!,  _ Nami thought as she jumped back in fear, while Zoro folded his arms and raised an eyebrow at the prince  _ Hmph, so the Know It All can put the debt witch in her place...Interesting... _

“Oh, I must’ve misunderstood Rei then,” Nami said quickly as she started to sweat, “I think she just said that I should  _ warn _ the prince about the Royal Treasury. My mistake.” 

_ Damn it, _ Nami thought to herself,  _ She knew I was still going to make a play for the Royal Treasury. _

Meanwhile, the subject of Nami’s cursing was in her father’s room with Chopper as they helped the queen get comfortable in Jeffrey’s bed. 

“Are you sure it’s okay for me to stay here?” The Queen asked quietly, “Where will you all sleep?”

“I’m used to sleeping on the floor,” Rei said as she adjusted the pillows near the queen’s neck, “And my dad, he can survive one night without his bed. Please don’t worry about us.”

The Queen reached out and grabbed Rei’s gloved hands into her own, “It’s been awhile since I last saw you, Reia.”

Rei jerked her hand back but the queen’s grip was stronger than she thought, “Please don’t use my full name, Queen Adela. It’s not safe.”

“Can you take off your mask for me?”  the queen asked with a gentle smile, releasing her hold and returning Rei’s hands.

Rei hesitated for a little before obeying the queen’s request. As soon as she did, the queen’s eyes filled up with tears.

“Oh,” she breathed, “You look more and more like her everyday.” 

“I know,” Rei said.

“I’m so sorry,”  the queen cried softly, “I’m so sorry I couldn’t help her.”

“You’ve done enough,” Rei said woodenly. She was never good when people were crying, especially adults.

“Y-y-your majesty,” Chopper said rushing over to  the queen’s side, “You shouldn’t cry. You need to be careful of spending too much energy.”

“All this power,” the queen continued, looking down at her hands, “And I couldn’t even save my best friend.”

She looked up at Rei, “I will never forgive myself.”    
  


“Her death was not your fault,” Rei stated, which made the queen cry harder.

“And it’s not yours, either,” said a voice behind them.

Rei and Chopper turned to see Jeffrey at the door. He stood arms folded, a big frown on his face, and Gully Two perched on his shoulder.

“Rosa’s death is not anyone’s fault,” he said sternly. He walked over to the bed and putting a hand on each woman’s shoulders, “She made what she thought was the best decision and we have to honor that.”

Rei stayed silent as the queen sobbed quietly.

“Reia, why don’t you let me have a moment with my old friend,” Jeffrey said giving his daughter a nod.

“Yes, Dad but Chopper needs to stay. He’s in charge of the queen’s health now,” Rei said before leaving the room.

Jeffrey sighed. He knew his daughter was still hurting inside yet her mind was solely focused on work. It wasn’t healthy for Rei to bottle everything up and it wasn’t fair to her either. 

As soon as the door closed behind her  the queen said softly, “She looks just like her.”

“And she acts like her too,” Jeffrey agreed, “Taking care of everyone else’s problems and not worrying about her own. Never taking no for an answer.” 

“She is like you too,”  the queen said encouragingly.

“How so?” Jeffrey asked.

“She can’t cook.”

Jeffrey laughed and he grinned at the queen. “You have a wicked sense of humor.” 

“Alfie always said Rosa would be a bad influence on me,” the queen replied back with a giggle.

“Alfie?” Chopper asked.

“My husband, the king,” the queen answered as she turned her attention on her temporary doctor, “We must be boring you with all this reminiscing. Let’s talk about you!”

“Eh?” Chopper was instantly nervous. 

“It’s been awhile since I had any company outside of my family and my usual doctor,” Queen Adela said with a gentle smile, “Please, tell me more about you.”

“Well…” Chopper didn’t know what to say or where to start. 

“You can’t just put him on the spot like that,” Jeffrey said with a laugh, “How about you tell her about your day. What did you guys do today?” 

  
  



	26. A Wedding Present from Gol D. Roger

Zoro wasn’t sure what Chopper chatting about but then again, the swordsman didn’t even know where he was. He could’ve sworn the living room was this way....This hallway was familiar for sure. Or was he supposed to make a left? Wait, he thought he did turn left...

He was returning from the bathroom when he happened to past by Jeffrey’s bedroom. The door was slightly ajar and he peaked in to see Chopper talking and laughing with a strange woman and Jeffrey. The woman had a delicate gold crown on her head that was smaller than the palm of his hand.  _ Must be the queen,  _ he thought as he started to walk past the room. 

“Oh, so one of your crewmembers was a bounty hunter…” he heard the queen say, which made him stop in his tracks.

Chopper quickly jumped to Zoro’s defense, not knowing that the man was standing right outside the doorway. “But he’s not a bounty hunter anymore! He’s not going to go after Jeffrey-san or anyone on this island.” 

“I’m not worried about it, little one,” the queen reassured him.

Zoro breathed a sigh of relief and looked into the room again. He saw that the queen had placed a hand on Chopper’s hand for comfort. “This country is a place for people to get a second chance,” she said, “To start on a clean slate. This isn’t just for pirates but also for marines, bounty hunters, and anyone else who just wants to start anew.”

“Ah,” Jeffrey added, “That’s why Rosa and I moved here in the first place.”

“Where were you and Rosa-san before?” Chopper asked.

“Well, we sailed together here from Paradise,” Jeffrey said.

“Paradise?” Chopper scratched his head in confusion.

“That’s what we in the New World call the first half of the Grand Line,” Queen Adela explained.

“Right, but before that Rosa actually travelled all the way from the West Blue to the Grand Line on her own,” Jeffrey said.

“By herself?!” Chopper gasped.

“With some help here and there,” Jeffrey said with a laugh, “She was a tough woman. She had to be, to have raised Shanks-boy on her own. She faced any danger that came her way and just does what she wants to do.”

“Tell him why she came to the Grand Line,” Queen Adela egged Jeffrey, “This has always been my favorite part.”

Jeffrey blushed a little as he scratched the back of his head, “Adela-chan,” he laughed, “Now you’re putting  _ me _ on the spot.”

“Oy, Marimo what are you-” 

Zoro almost jumped out of his skin. He was so engrossed in the story he didn’t even see the shitty love cook pass his way. He quickly put his hand over the blonde’s mouth and glared at him, while the Curly Brow let out a string of muffled curse words under his palm. “Shhh, don’t interrupt,” Zoro hissed.

Sanji was about to kick Zoro when Queen Adela’s laugh interrupted him.

“It’s so romantic!” she said to Jeffrey, “And it’s so very much like Rosa. Tell the story of how you captured her heart!”

_ Love tips?!  _ Sanji thought, his eyes widened in delight. He hurriedly pushed the swordsman out of the way as he looked in between the doors to see inside. 

Zoro scowled. The cook was blocking the entire doorway so he couldn’t see anything.  _ Tch, _ Zoro thought as he sat on the ground with his arms folded and eyes closed,  _ I’ll just listen. _

“You said you sent letters for Shanks to her,” Chopper chimed in, “Is that what happened?”

“Yes, actually,” Jeffrey said, surprised at how the reindeer remembered him mentioning that, “I delivered a couple of letters to her for Shanks and then one day, Gully flew back with two letters in hand. One for Shanks and one for me...”

* * *

 

\--  **Flashback 23 years ago, Somewhere near the front of the Grand Line --**

"Why is Shanks’ older sister writing to you?" a young Buggy demanded as his senpai scratched his head with a mix of embarrassment and confusion.

“How should I know, Buggy-Boy,” Jeffrey complained to their new recruit as he opened his letter and turned to Shanks, “Do you know why she wrote me?”

16 year old, Shanks gave a nonchalant shrug as he started to read her letter for him. “Rosa does what she wants. She’s always been like that.”

“Reminds me of someone…” Buggy muttered under his breath.

Jeffrey skimmed through the first line of letter and he shouted out in surprise. “Oh! It’s a “Thank You” note! Your sister really shouldn’t have. We’re pirates after all. These social protocols don’t apply to us.”

“Again, Rosa does what she wants,” Shanks said with a smile.

* * *

 

“After that, we just started to exchange letters,” Jeffrey said, “And after 6 months or so, I told her we were making our way to Mock Town.”

“Mock Town?” Chopper exclaimed, “We’ve been there!”

“Did you guys go to Sky Island too?” Jeffrey asked and Chopper nearly fell backwards from the shock.

“You’ve been to Skypiea?!” he gasped.

“Not me, no, but the crew did,” Jeffrey said as he petted Gully Two on his shoulder, “Captain Roger suddenly decided he wanted to go find the Sky Island so we went to Mock Town.”

“But you didn’t go with them?” Chopper asked.

Jeffrey shook his head, “I was waiting for Rosa. When she heard I was heading that way, she told me she’d meet me there. I waited for three months until she finally arrived.”

“And then what happened?” Chopper asked. 

“We got married,” Jeffrey said with a blush.

“WHAT?!” Chopper shouted.

“Yeah, I was just as surprised as you were. It was all Rosa’s idea. She said she didn’t sail across the world just to be friends,” Jeffrey said which made the queen giggle, “By the time the Captain and the crew returned from the Sky Island, I had decided to give up being a pirate and to start anew with Rosa.”

“So you guys decided to move to Beffi Island?” Chopper asked.

“Actually, it was Ol’ Silver’s idea,” Jeffrey said.

“Rayleigh?!” Chopper exclaimed.

* * *

 

\--  **Flashback 23 years ago, Somewhere outside of Mock Town --**

“Oy, Roger,” Silvers said as he pushed his strawberry blonde hair back, “Why don’t we take them to Beffi Island? As our wedding present to them.” The first mate looked at the young couple through his glasses before turning to his captain.

His captain roared with laughter as rum sloshed out of the cup he was holding. He had been in high spirits ever since they got back from Skypeia and after reuniting with Cogan and hearing his news, it seemed his captain was having one of the best days of his life. He had declared a shipwide feast and the crew wholeheartedly complied.

“Ah,” Roger said with a fierce grin, “Let’s go there then and drop them off.” 

“C-C-C-Captain! You really don’t need to. Rosa and I will figure out a way on our own-,” Jeffrey started to protest but Roger’s laughter cut him off.

“I haven’t agreed to release you from the crew yet, Cogan!” Roger said, “So you still have to listen to me. You have no say in this.”

“Ah, must be nice to settle down and live a quiet life,” the Dark King said as he watched Jeffrey and Rosa get pulled in different directions by the Roger Pirates, as each wanted to celebrate with the newlyweds. His eyes fell on their young apprentice, Shanks. He was already pretty hammered from all the toasts he was trying to give to his sister and new brother in law. Rayleigh smiled to himself. “Maybe I’ll do that one day.”

Roger snorted, “And do what? Build boats?”

“Maybe,” Silvers said with a shrug, “You never know.”

* * *

Queen Adela heaved a sigh as she looked down at her hands, “I wish I could’ve been there to witness your wedding.”

Jeffrey gave her a look of confusion, “But you didn’t even know us then.”

Queen Adela laughed. “Yes, I know that but it is still something I wished I was there for.”

“Well, we were there for  _ your _ wedding day,” Jeffrey said with a mischievous glint in his eyes, which caused Queen Adela to laugh again.

“Maybe we should think about moving down here with Jeffrey and Rei,” a male voice called from the doorway, “Since you laugh so much more when you’re around them.”

Queen Adela seemed to glow at the sight of her husband and she didn’t even seem to mind that he was dragging two men behind him by their collars.  

“Zoro?! Sanji?!” Chopper cried out.

“These two were listening in on your story,” King Tannenbay said as he released the men and they fell flat on their face, “Didn’t even have the decency to come in and introduce themselves.”

“They’re pirates, dear,” Queen Adela said warmly as she watched Zoro and Sanji get back up on their feet. Both were blushing furiously for having been caught.  _ The king moves fast, _ they thought as they looked guiltily at the queen, who seemed to not mind at all and had only eyes for her husband, “We were just about to tell the young doctor here about our wedding day.”   


“ _ Our _ wedding day?!” the king sputtered, “What does that have to do with anything?”   
The queen stifled a smile. After all these years, her husband was still not quite comfortable about that subject but he was a different man then and all was forgiven. “He wanted to know more about Rosa,” she said.

King Tannenbay took a deep breath and he sat on the bed next to his wife as he rubbed her arms affectionately. “Is that wise?” he asked, “What if Rei walks in while we’re talking about her mother? You know she doesn’t like it when-” 

“They should know, Your Highness,” Jeffrey interjected, “The Straw Hats should know what they’re fighting for. What Rei is fighting for.”

The king looked between Jeffrey and his wife before conceding and giving a nod to his head. “Okay, but if are you going to talk about our wedding day or our actual wedding?”

“Huh? What’s the difference?” Zoro asked.

“More than you realize,” King Tannenbay said with a sigh.


	27. Cogan Reia, The Queen’s Champion

**Chapter 27 - Cogan Reia, The Queen’s Champion**

_ \- Flashback 22 years ago, 1 year Before the Wall was Built - _

“Princess Adela! What are you doing sitting there?! Get down, you might fall into the water! Someone might see you!” 

17 year old Adela looked up from her fishing pole as her nursemaid, Penelope, ran across the deck of the ship to pull her off the railings along their ship. 

“Penelope,” Adela whined as she was forced to draw back her line with no catch to show for her morning’s efforts, “I just wanted to catch some fish for the cook.”

“How unladylike!” Penelope scolded as she grabbed the fishing pole from the young princess’ hands, “What if your future husband sees you like this. He might call off the wedding!”

“He’s going to love me no matter what I do,” Adela announced, trying to sound more confident than she felt. She leaned over the railings to see if she can spot the island that held her dreams and her future, “I’m sure of it!”

“Hey, you up there!” a woman’s voice called from below and Adela looked down into the water in surprise.

She stared at a young woman who couldn’t be much older than 21 or 22 waving up frantically at her from a small wooden lifeboat, with a rather large muscular man crammed at the other end. His head was cropped short revealing dark roots and he had on round, black sunglasses, while the woman had her long red-hair tied in braid and a white visor over her face to shield her from the sun.

“Hey you! I know you see me!” the woman called out as Adela quickly stepped back.

“Princess Adela! Get away from there,” Penelope hissed as she rushed over to drag the girl so she can hide safely in her quarters, “They could be pirates.”

“Yoohoo!” the woman called again.

“Rosa-chan,” her male companion said nervously, “I think they don’t want to help us.”

“Nonsense,” the woman said sternly, “That girl looked friendly. She wouldn’t hurt a fly.”

The princess struggled against Penelope’s tight grip. “How could you even tell?” Adela heard the man say. 

“I’m always right,” the woman replied confidently back.

Her response made Adela giggle and she managed to wrangle herself free from her nursemaid’s clutches and she ran back to the side of the railing. “Hey!” she called down with a wave, “Who are you and what do you want?”

“Princess Adela!” Penelope cried in shock.

“Princess?” the woman said with her hands on her hips, “You don’t look like a princess. Where’s your crown?”

“I hate crowns. They give me headaches!” Adela shouted back.

The woman nodded as if it was a common and totally relatable problem. “Where are your guards? Shouldn’t you be protected?” 

“We don’t have the money for guards. My country is quite poor,” Adela said.

The woman laughed at the princess’ honesty, while Penelope groaned and covered her face with her hands. After today, she thought to console herself, I’m done. I can retire after this trip. 

“Can you give me and my husband a ride then? We can stop wherever you are going. We just can’t stay another day in this lifeboat,” the woman asked.

“How are you going to get up here? I don’t know if we have any ladders,” Adela asked.

“So you’ll let us up then?” the woman said, her eyes lighting up with excitement. She turned to her husband, “I told you she was friendly!” 

Her husband could only give a helpless smile at Adela as he shrugged his shoulders. 

“Yes, but I’ll need to figure out a way-” Adela said but before she could finish her sentence, the woman and her husband appeared in front of her with her husband holding up the woman by her arm while she leaned against her knees and gasped for breath.

“H-H-H-How?” Adela asked in surprise.

“It’s just something I can do,” the woman said between breaths. Her husband looked at her worriedly as he rubbed her back.

“Rosa-chan,” he said, “Even though it’s a short trip, you still shouldn’t use that skill. I could’ve carried us up.”

“This was easier,” Rosa said, as she slowly started to straighten up. Her green eyes met Adela’s blue one and she gave the princess a big smile. “So, where are we going?”

“I’m going to meet my future husband for the first time,” Adela said, still in shock.

Adela braced herself for the onslaught of questions she normally received whenever she brings up her arranged marriage but to her surprise Rosa just gave a nod and started to inspect the rest of the boat.

“Y-You’re not going to ask me about my future husband?” Adela asked.

“Why? It’s none of my business,” Rosa said, not even giving Adela a glance back as she studied the deck, “For a poor country, you seem to have a pretty decent ship.”

“My future husband’s family provided this for us,” Adela said softly. 

“Oh, I see,” Rosa said. Her husband gave her a look and she frowned back at him. “What, Jeffrey?”

Jeffrey pointed at Adela and that’s when Rosa noticed that the princess had a saddened expression on her face. “I’m sorry, did you want to talk about your future husband?” Rosa bluntly asked.

“Rosa-chan,” Jeffrey hissed, “She’s just a young girl. I’m sure she’s nervous about meeting her husband for the first time.”

“Why? I wasn’t,” Rosa said, staring blankly back at her husband.

Adela looked up at her in surprise. “You two were an arranged marriage too?”

Rosa bursted into laughter. “Sort of.” She looped her arms around Jeffrey and gave him a giant kiss on the cheek, which made the man blush furiously, “I arranged it. He had no idea I was going to marry him when we met.” 

“What?!” Adela couldn’t believe her ears.

“To be fair, we did know each other a little bit before we got married,” Jeffrey hurriedly explained, “I wrote her letters you see and-”

“It doesn’t matter,” Rosa said, cutting her husband off, “What matters is that I knew what I wanted and I made it happen. That’s what’s important.”

She put her hands on her hips and she turned to the princess. “Do you know what you want?” she demanded.

The princess blinked back at the red-haired woman. No one had really asked her that before.

“Do you want to be married?” Rosa pressed.

Again, the princess was speechless.

“You don’t have any guards. You don’t know what you want and you don’t know if you want to marry this guy, whoever he is,” Rosa said as she started to pace back and forth, deep in thought.

She stopped suddenly and gave a solemn look at her husband. “We’ve got our work cut out for us then.”

Jeffrey knew that look on his wife’s face and it always involved a plan of some sort that he was never fully prepared for. “Rosa-chan, what are you-” he asked cautiously before she cut him off by marching back to the princess.

The woman put her two hands on the princess’ shoulders and stared her directly in the eye. “We’ll do it,” she said.

“What?” Adela asked, unsure of what was happening.

“We’ll be your guards,” Rosa said with a firm nod, “We’ll make sure you’re safe and happy until you decide what you want to do. Consider me your champion.”

“Rosa-chan-” Jeffrey started to say but Rosa looked at her husband accusingly.

“Someone has to look out for her! She doesn’t know what she wants and she’s about to dive into a lifelong commitment. If we’re not going to protect her, who will?” she complained.

“I was going to say,” Jeffrey said as he scratched the back of his head, “You can’t force her to hire us. She already said she didn’t have the money. We’d be an extra burden to her.” 

“I-,” Adela started to protest but Rosa interrupted again as she yawned and stretched her arms high in the air.

“Don’t worry about money,” Rosa said, “We’ll figure out a way.” She then turned her attention back on Adela. “So where does your potential husband live?” 

The change in subject took Adela by surprise and she took a moment before registering the question. “Beffi Island,” she answered after her long pause.

Instantly, Rosa was in front of her again and this time she was shaking her excitedly by the shoulders. “Really?! Beffi Island?!” 

Adela nodded. She was dumbfounded by her newly appointed guard’s enthusiasm as Rosa gave another giant hug to her husband and planted a kiss on his cheek. “What luck!” she cheered, “I thought we’d be stranded out in the ocean for days before we can could even get remotely close to the right direction. See? I told you stealing the lifeboat from Captain Roger was a good idea!”

Penelope gasped as she had gotten over the shock of these two trespassers. “Roger?! As in, Gol D Roger? ARE YOU PIRATES?!” 

Adela took a step back in fear but Rosa’s laugh split the tension and set her mind at ease. “I’m not a pirate. He was but he’s not anymore. Besides, isn’t getting a second chance the point of living on Beffi Island?”

Adela felt her hands being grasped by Rosa’s and she noticed how warm and reassuring her grip was. She stared at Rosa, who was beaming ear to ear. The princess couldn’t help but share in her enthusiasm and she felt a smile spread across her own face. “I’m Princess Adela D. Newmont from the kingdom of Ordas.” 

“And I’m Cogan Rosa, wife of Jeffrey,” Rosa replied, “And I’ll be your champion!”


	28. Adela's Choice

_**\- Flashback 22 years ago, 1 year Before the Wall was Built -** _

Prince Alfred Tannenbay III shifted uncomfortably on his feet. His leather shoes were laced up too tight and his shirt was buttoned up to the top, leaving little to no breathing room under his chin. To make matters worse, Father-sama had insisted on him wearing his red coat over his white suit. The coat weighed a ton and had gold embellishments along the cuffs, lapels, and hem.  _ This is too much even for royalty, _ the 20 year old thought with a frown as he stood next to the king’s throne,  _ One should dress sensibly.  _

King Victor Tannenbay II raised an eyebrow at his son, mistaking his discomfort for nervousness. _ Yes, I was like that when I first met my bride _ . He rubbed one of the jeweled rings on his fingers as he chuckled to himself.  

A guard in a green cloak ran forward from the entrance and knelt before the king. “Is she here yet?” King Victor asked.

“They’ve just docked and are making there way to the castle now,” the guard said.

“They? Who’s they?” Alfred asked, “I thought it was just the princess.”

The king scoffed. “You’re too cautious, Alfie. It’s probably just the princess and her attendant. You know they can’t afford to send anymore people over.”

“Then why am I marrying her if it’s not beneficial to our kingdom?” Alfie asked. HIs tone was calm but the king knew just how frustrated his son was under the circumstances.

“It is beneficial,” King Victor said, “You just don’t see it yet.” 

“Actually…” the guard said hesitantly, “There are also two more people with them.”

“Who else?” Alfie demanded.

“One man and one woman. They said they were the princess’ private guards,” the Green Cloak said.

“What?” Alfred scoffed, “Does she think she needs protection from us? We’re the ones doing her a favor by forming an alliance with her kingdom.”

“Enough, Alfie!” the king shouted, reminding Alfred who was the actual ruler. He turned his attention back to the guard, “Thank you for your report. You may bring them in when they arrive.”

The guard bowed his head one more time before rising to his feet. “Yes, Your Majesty.”

As he left the room, the king turned to his son. “Do you think alliances should be formed solely on power and wealth?” he asked.

“What else is there?” the prince replied, “Nothing else would benefit our kingdom.”

The king sighed and leaned back in his seat. “You’re thinking narrow mindedly.”

“I’m thinking sensibly,” his son retorted.

_ One day, you’ll understand,  _ the king thought to himself as he rubbed his rings.

They stood in silence until Princess Adela’s arrival. The doors opened to the castle. The first to walk in was a big, muscular man who looked a little uncomfortable in his surroundings. Follow closely behind him was a red-haired woman who seemed to have no problem with where she was. She walked confidently, never taking her eyes off of the prince. Finally, the princess came in with her nursemaid at her side. 

_ She’s pretty, _ the prince thought to himself as he remained expressionless,  _ But how useful is that? _

_ He’s tall _ , Adela thought to herself as she tightened her grip on Penelope’s arm and tried not to stumble in her steps. His short black hair was parted neatly on the side with not one strand of hair out of place. A simple gold crown sat on his head, which was a stark contrast to the elaborate one that the king wore.

King Victor also wore his hair similar to his son. They also shared the same brown, prominent eyes and hooked nose. However, the king was by for more accessorized than the prince. He even sparkled in the sunlight that came in through the windows. 

Adela looked down at her own dress self-consciously. It was the best dress she owned. It was sapphire blue that brought out the gold in her hair and the blue in her eyes but other than the color, there was not much else to the long sleeved attire.

When they finally stopped in front of the throne, she gave a small curtsy and smiled shyly at the king and then at the prince. The king beamed back at her but the prince’s face remained unresponsive.

_ Well, at least she understands decorum,  _ Prince Alfred thought to himself.

_ What’s with this guy?, _ Rosa thought as she raised an eyebrow at the prince. She stood along the sidelines with Jeffrey as they watched the princess and the prince meet. She stared up at her husband and she rested her head on his arm. She frowned at the scene in front of her.  _ Adela’s going to marry him?! _

“Welcome to my home,” King Victor said joyfully, “After tonight, it will be yours too!” 

“Tonight?” Rosa said a little too loudly to her husband, “The wedding is tonight?!” 

Prince Alfred coughed as he looked over at the princess’ guards. _ How unruly _ , he thought to himself.

Adela clasped her hands in front of her and stared at her gloves. “Please excuse my guards,” she said softly, “They’re new and have never been inside a castle as big as yours before.”

“Have you?” Prince Alfred muttered under his breath.

“What did you say?!” 

Suddenly, Rosa was marching over to the prince, ignoring her husband’s protest. She stood defiantly in front of the princess, as if to shield her from his words. “I dare you to say that again.”

“Who are you?” Prince Alfred demanded.

“I’m Adela’s champion and I’m here to protect her,” Rosa said with pride.

“From what?!” Alfred asked incredulously, “From me?!” 

“Yes, from you!” Rosa said, “I don’t know you. I don’t know if you’re a good man and I won’t allow her to marry you unless I am fully satisfied with your character.”

Alfred sputtered as he tried to make sense of this woman. “O-o-on what grounds?”

Rosa raised her chin. She was not going to let some young prince scare her. “On the grounds that her family is not here to look out for her best interest so I’ll be doing that in their place.”

King Victor’s laugh echoed through the hall and Adela peered from behind Rosa at the king. He did not seem angry one bit. In fact, he seemed quite entertained. His eyes met hers and she quickly ducked behind Rosa. 

“Princess Adela,” the king said warmly, “What do you say about this? Do you agree with your champion? Will you not marry my son?”

Adela peeked out hesitantly over Rosa’s shoulder, first at the king and then at the prince. His eyes seemed cold and his lips were pursed into a tight frown. Could she really spend the rest of her life with this man?

“I don’t know,” Adela said softly. It was the only answer she could give. 

Suddenly, the king’s hand was on her shoulder as he gently ushered her out from behind Rosa. “At least you’re honest,” he said as he led her out of the throne room and down the hallway. He paused and looked at his son and then at Rosa. “Come along. I’m going to show Princess Adela to her room.”

“But what about the wedding, Father-sama,” Prince Alfred asked.

The king stopped in his tracks and held his chin as he contemplated the situation. “Yes, what about the wedding?” 

He looked down at Adela, “Well, the wedding is four hours away so you have until then to decide. Show up if you want to marry him. If not, stay in your room.”

“You’re giving me a choice?” Adela asked bewildered at the king’s actions.

“Everyone has a choice,” the king answered as he led her through the castle, “One must not live their lives solely based on what they’re parents have decided for them. Yes, it would be nice to have you in the family but I can’t force it.” 

He looked back at his son, who looked utterly perplexed as he trailed behind. “It would be nice to have you in the family, indeed.”


	29. The Emptied Chapel

_\- Flashback 22 years ago, 1 year Before the Wall was Built -_

“I say don’t marry him,” Rosa said as she sat on Adela’s bed. 

“Rosa-chan,” Jeffrey pleaded, “This is Adela’s decision.”

Rosa waved her hand in Adela’s direction. “Look at her! If she doesn’t know now if she wants to marry him, then she’s not going to know in four hours!”  

Adela was standing by the window as she looked out into the island. It was a beautiful island. Full of lush greens, a vibrant town, and surrounded by the blue, sparkling ocean. _ Is this where I can call my home? _

She looked down and was surprised to see Prince Alfred beneath her window. She was two stories above him so she didn’t think he noticed her. He was playing chess by himself out in the gardens.  _ Is this my future husband? _

_ “What matters is that I knew what I wanted and I made it happen. That’s what’s important.” _

Rosa’s words echoed through Adela’s head and she looked at her new friend. Rosa stared blankly back at Adela. “What?” she asked, “Did you make a decision?”

Without a word, Adela picked up the hem of her dress and ran out the door.  Rosa started to run after her but she was stopped by her husband. “Rosa-chan,” he repeated, this time more sternly, “This is Adela’s decision.”

When Adela found her way to the gardens, she was out of breath and sweating slightly. Still, she was relieved to see Prince Alfred still sitting at his chess table, with his back turned to her. She cautiously walked towards him.

“What do you want?” he asked bluntly.

She gasped and hid behind a bush. She didn’t realize he knew she was there.

“You don’t need to hide,” he called again.

She timidly walked out from her hiding place and sat down in the chair opposite him. He raised an eyebrow at her and pointed at the chess pieces. “Do you play?” he asked.

She shook her head.

“Can you fight?” he asked, whipping out a small knife and placing it in front of her.

She shook her head fervently. She was scared of the weapon.

“Do you play an instrument?” 

She shook her head again. 

“You can’t play chess. You can’t fight. You don’t know how to play music. What can you do?” he asked.

“I can fish,” she said softly.

“Huh?” He tilted his head as he didn’t think he heard her correctly. 

“I can fish,” she repeated. 

“What good would that do?” he asked out loud, “You can’t save a country that way.”

“But I could save someone,” Adela said as she looked down at her lap.

“Speak louder. If you’re going to be my bride, you’ll need to learn how to sound confident and-,” Prince Alfred demanded.

“I don’t know if I’m going to be your bride.” Adela lifted her chin up at Prince Alfred, mimicking the way Rosa did in the throne room, and she raised her voice, “And I said I save could someone by fishing.”

“Some  _ one _ ?” Prince Alfred scoffed.

“It’s a start,” Adela said, “You need to at least start with saving one person before you can save a whole group of them.” 

Prince Alfred was slightly taken aback by this blonde haired girl but he quickly regained his composure. “This country doesn’t need to fish,” Prince Alfred.

“This country doesn’t need to fight either,” Adela said, “No one is attacking you. You haven’t been at war with anyone.”

“What do you know about my country?” Prince Alfred sneered.

“And what do you know of me?” Adela countered.

“I know that your country is quite poor. I know that my father had to send countless of our troops to help fight your battles. I know that your father practically begged my father to help-”

_ Thwack!  _

Prince Alfred drew his hand to his cheek. His pride stung more than his face as he stared at the girl who had just slapped him. She wasn’t crying though. In fact, she looked quite dignified as her eyes glared into his. “You know nothing about my father and you are nothing like yours.”

“Tch,” Prince Alfred said, “Of course, I’m not. I’m much more sensible than that old man.”

“Maybe you are but that’s not what my country needs. That’s not what any country needs,” she said as she stood up from her chair and made her way back into the castle, “I have decided. I will not marry you.” 

“Wait!” Prince Alfred called after her. She paused, willing to hear him out, “What do you think a country needs?” 

“Compassion,” she answered as she picked up the hem of her dress again to walk away.

Prince Alfred sat in front his chess table as he stared at the pieces blankly. He suddenly wasn’t in the mood for chess. “Compassion,” he muttered to himself, “What nonsense.”  He pushed his chair back as he marched back into the castle, not noticing Rosa’s bemused expression in the window above.

\--

“The wedding is off, Father-sama,” Prince Alfred reported to the king as he sat in his office.

“So she came to her senses, huh?” King Victor said as he thumbed through the book he was in the middle of reading.

“What makes you think she’s the one who called it off?!” Prince Alfred demanded.

King Victor looked at his son over the top of his book. “Are you saying you called it off?” 

Prince Alfred’s silence told him everything and King Victor let out a chuckle. “I knew that girl would be too good for you.”

“Too good for me?!” Prince Alfred sputtered, “That girl can’t even fight.”

“Does she need to?” King Victor asked.

“No, but she doesn’t need to fish either!” his son retorted.

“Ah, so she knows how to fish,” King Victor said, “How admirable.”

“How is that admirable?!” Prince Alfred retorted.

“Her country is poor,” King Victor replied, “It’s been ransacked so many times by pirates, bounty hunters, mountain thieves, and other unsavory criminals that it would take a miracle for them to get back on their feet again.” 

The prince was exasperated. His father was talking in circles. “What does that have to do with fishing?!” 

“For someone who always lectures about being sensible, you sure let your emotions cloud your judgement,” King Victor said.

The prince scowled at his father as the king sighed and closed his book. “A fish to a starving country is worth it’s weight in gold and a princess, who spends her time figuring out what her country needs instead of what a regular princess would do, has a heart of one.” 

King Victor looked out through his window and gazed at his kingdom. “A king that rules with his mind can ensure the prosperity of his people.”

He then turned to his son, “But a king that rules with his heart can ensure their happiness.” 

\--

“You want me to go where?!” Adela cried out in alarm, “I thought you wanted me not to marry him!”

“I didn’t say go to the chapel so you could marry him. I said go to the chapel to watch!” Rosa said with her hands on her hips.

“Watch what?” Adela asked incredulously, “Watch that arrogant man tell all his friends and family how he’s too good to marry someone like me?”

“If you’re going to leave a man at the altar,” Rosa pointed out, “You can’t exactly blame him for badmouthing you.”

“I already told him I wasn’t going to marry him,” Adela said, “So it’s not like he’ll be surprised.”

Rosa looked at the clock in the room, “Yes but you only told him that. You didn’t really give the king or anyone else fair warning.” 

Adela bit her lip guiltily. “Do you think the king will be mad?”

“Nah,” Rosa said as she sat closer to Adela on the bed and put an arm around her, “He seemed like a nice king. I’m sure he’ll understand.”

“He was always very understanding and he always helped out my father when he needed it,” Adela said, “Which is why we were so surprised that he was the one to request this marriage.”

Rosa almost fell off the bed. “What?! So it wasn’t your side that-”

Adela shook her head. “I’m not sure why but King Victor insisted on this union. Of course, my father couldn’t have chosen any kingdom better for me.”

“Then you have to go to the chapel!” Rosa said, jumping off the bed and tugging at her friend’s arm, “You need to at least tell the king your reasons. You owe him that.”

“But all those people-” Adela protested.

“We’ll hide in the back and wait for a good time to talk to the king in private!” Rosa said, “Come on!”

\---

Rosa and Adela watched from behind two burly male guests in the back pew of the balcony. They were in the farthest seat in the house. Jeffrey waited outside near the backdoor in case they needed to make a quick getaway. Rosa was convinced there was no way Adela could be spotted if they sat on the second floor. For extra protection, they wore white cloaks with the hoods pulled over their heads to cover their red and blonde hair.

When the clock promptly struck 5pm, Prince Alfred walked through the chapel door and stood at the end of the altar. Everyone shot up to their feet. He didn’t look nervous or uncomfortable in the slightest. His face was expressionless as he motioned for the guests to sit.  They all gave a confused look back at the prince but dutifully followed his orders. 

“Friends, family, honored guests,” he said, as he bowed to each side of the chapel, “I have a small announcement to make.”

Rosa reached over to Adela and gave her hand a squeeze for support. 

“The wedding has been cancelled. I will not be marrying Princess Adela of the Ordas Kingdom.”

Murmurs and gasps rang throughout the chapel but it was quickly silenced by the prince, who was not done talking.

“Of course, I’m sure you all came to the logical conclusion that I called off this wedding. A union between Beffi Island and the Ordas Kingdom makes no sense,” he said, “It’s only reasonable for me to marry someone from a more substantial background.”

Rosa gripped Adela’s hand hard and started to make a stand to tell the prince off but Adela pulled her down. She shook her head sadly at Rosa, with tears in her eyes. “It’s not worth it,” she said softly.

“But, as sensible as that answer may be,” the prince continued, “It isn’t the truth in this case.”

Adela and Rosa looked at each other in surprise. 

“In fact,” the prince said as he clasped his hands behind his back, “It was the princess’ decision not to marry me. She found me unfit to be her husband.”

The crowd started to talk amongst themselves again but the prince raised his voice to silence them, “To be honest, I don’t blame her.” 

Rosa’s grip on Adela’s hand loosened a little as she leaned forward to get a better look at the prince below.  _ What is this guy talking about? _

“Someone like me, who grew up in a strong, successful kingdom, only goes by what is reasonable and rational because I’ve had the luxury of not having to worry about compassion or understanding,” he said before giving a small smile, “She made me realize that I’m not only unworthy to be her husband but also unworthy to be a king.” 

He bowed to his guests again. “So I sincerely apologize for the inconvenience I have caused you. This wedding is cancelled and the marriage is off. I take full responsibility. Of course, we will still have our dinner reception so you can at least leave with a full stomach.” 

The guests all looked at each other in confusion before slowly getting ushered from their seats by some Red Cloaks, who led them out the front door. “I can’t believe she called off the wedding,” Rosa and Adela heard some people whisper as they walked past.

“I can’t believe she put Prince Alfred in his place,” another person said, “She must be some woman.” 

When the final guests left, only Adela and Rosa remained. Even Prince Alfred and his father had left. Adela sat in silence as she looked out where Prince Alfred once stood.

Rosa looked at her friend, who was lost in her thoughts. “Adela. We should go back. Jeffrey’s waiting at the back door for us. You haven’t eaten all day. We should get some food in you.” 

Adela stood up but instead of heading for the door, she went down the stairs and stood in the middle of the aisle as she looked at the altar. It was decorated in red flowers and the last rays of the sun shown through the stained glass windows, creating a sort of dancing rainbow onto the floor. 

“Rosa,” Adela said softly as she looked at the pretty windows, “Would you find me silly if I told you I wanted to marry him now?”

“Well, he was pretty charismatic up there,” Rosa called down from the balcony as she leaned over the railing, “So no, I wouldn’t find you silly.”

“I would,” Prince Alfred said gruffly.

Princess Adela spun around in surprise to see the prince leaning against the doorframe at the other end of the aisle.    
  


“In fact, I would say you were more than silly. You’d be crazy to want to marry me. It would not be...sensible,” he said with a smirk.

“I heard what you said,” Adela called out to him.

“Ah, I know,” Alfred replied.

Adela’s eyes widened. “Did you see me?” 

“Someday I’m going to tell you about Observation Haki,” Alfred muttered to himself before calling out to Adela, “This whole country thinks you’re this amazing woman that even their great Prince Alfred couldn’t match up to. Why would you want to change their minds?” 

“Because that’s not what I want,” Adela said. She caught Rosa’s eye and gave her friend a smile, “I know what I want and I’m going to make it happen.” 

“And you want to marry me?” Prince Alfred asked.

Adela nodded. 

Instantly, Prince Alfred walked across the aisle and pulled Adela toward him for a kiss. “I do too,” he whispered back as his lips left hers. 

“WAIT! Don’t kiss her anymore!” came the bossy voice of Rosa overhead, “Let me grab Jeffrey, the minister, and your father! We’re going to have a wedding!”


	30. You’re Wrong, Madame Cecilia!

No one got much sleep that night, especially Zoro and Sanji, who stayed up late listening to the King and Queen’s wedding story. At least Chopper got to sleep on a small cot so that he could keep an eye on the queen.

The rest of the Straw Hats had to sleep on the hard fortress floor and they all woke up throughout the night with back aches. Rei, on the other hand, slept fine on the floor of her room. She didn’t sleep much normally so by the time everyone else woke up, she had already been awake for several hours and had made several rounds during the night to patrol the fortress.

Zoro had woken up a couple of times in the middle of the night to adjust his swords, which kept slipping down from it’s leaning position against the wall next to him. He then remembered the empty sword racks in Rei’s room so he headed on over to see if he could use one of them.

The door was left open, as Rei didn’t want to wake anyone up with the sound of her opening and closing the door so Zoro could see what she was doing inside. It was the oddest training exercise he had ever seen. She was doing a handstand over the chess table and doing pushups with one arm while the other arm moved the pieces around the board every time she finished one push up. 

After a couple of moves, she launched herself off the table, somersaulted across the room, and landed in a kneeling position. Two dagger chains shot out and lodged itself into the center of the wooden target directly in front of her but she never looked up. There she stayed for a few minutes to catch her breath before walking over to her chessboard and doing the whole exercise again.

Zoro watched her silently from the doorway as she went through a couple rounds. She was sweaty and a little out of breath. Her hood was hung back along the wall and her mask on the table so he could see the back of her shirt was soaked.  _ How long can she keep this up? _ he thought to himself.

Zoro decided not to bother her and rejoined the Straw Hats in the living room.  _ She’s disciplined, _ he thought before going back to sleep.

When it was finally morning, Jeffrey was the only one who seemed to be in good spirits.

“I’m hungry,” Luffy whined, yawning loudly and stretching his arms.

“My back, oh my back!” Usopp whimpered while applying pressure on his spine to rub out the kinks.

“WAKE UP, YOU BLOCKHEAD!” Nami yelled kicking Zoro awake, furious at herself for being jealous of the swordsman’s ability to fall asleep anywhere.

Zoro rubbed his injury and glared at Nami. He looked around the room to see everyone stretching or massaging their backs. “Where’s Rei?” 

“Worried about her?” Nami teased.

“No,” Zoro said annoyed at what Nami was suggesting, “We’re all supposed to be following her plan, aren’t we? Isn’t she supposed to tell us when to go?”

“She already left,” Jeffrey said, “She is back in the castle getting ready with the king.”

“WHAT?!” Zoro shouted jumping to his feet, “Luffy, Brook, Franky, get your asses to the docks and search for the ships! It might already be too late!” 

“We have plenty of time,” Robin said looking at the clock on the wall, “Remember, she only gave us an hour window to find the three ships. We don’t want to let Tarantula know we’re onto him until it’s too late. Plus, she said she’d send some units of Green Cloaks to get us when it’s time.”

“Hey, Robin,” Usopp said looking between Luffy and Zoro, “We might want to recap the plan, just in case  _ some _ people don’t remember.’

“What are you trying to say?!” Zoro shouted glaring at Usopp.

“He’s right,” Nami said ignoring Zoro’s outburst, “Okay, everyone listen up. Luffy, Brook, and Franky, you each will be on a different patrol ships searching any ships that are exiting out of Pirate Harbor. The ships we’re looking for will contain at least 300. As a precaution, you need to stop as many ships from leaving the harbor. We can’t afford any of the ships to head over to the other side. You will have a transponder snail linked to Jeffrey’s snail. Call me as soon as you find one of the ships with the sleeping pirates on them.”

“That’s right,” Usopp said jumping in, “Nami and I are on HQ duty. We’ll be monitoring all the transponder snails Rei left us. You guys call Nami with any updates and I’ll call Rei.” 

“Zoro and Robin,” Nami continued, “You’re in charge of looking after the prince and princess. People won’t recognize them with their masks on but be careful. Call of us if anything comes up and head back here. If, however, you are too far away, Rei said to go straight to Madame Cecelia’s. For some reason, she thinks that’s a safe place.”

“Madame Cecilia?” Princess Mirabelle asked in surprise, “But I thought Rei-Rei hated her.”

“What?!” The Straw Hats asked.

“She doesn’t hate her,” Prince Ellis hastily assured his sister, “They just...have a weird history, that’s all. I’ll tell you about it some other time. Let’s just get ready for the festival!”

He quickly went through a bag of clothes he had brought down from the castle and flung a few dresses at his sister. “Here, go try some of these on.”

“Okay!” Mirabelle said happily skipping off to Rei’s room to change.

Prince Ellis sighed and continued looking through the bag of clothes for his outfit.

“Excuse me, Your Highness?” Usopp asked slowly.

Prince Ellis looked up to see the Straw Hats staring at him.

“Does Madame Cecilia and Rei’s weird history have anything to do with this?” Robin asked, holding up the last page of the book.

Prince Ellis’ eyes widened, “How’d you find this?” 

“Long story,” Nami said dismissing his question, “So is she the Red Hair referred to on the last page?!” 

Prince Ellis said sadly, “No, she’s not.”

“WHAT?!” the Straw Hats shouted.

“What’s on the last page?” Luffy asked confused.

“Yeah, what are you guys talking about?” Zoro asked.

“Another one of Madame Cecilia’s prophecies,” said Nami.

“Oh, that old hag,” Zoro said, “Ignore it. It’s all bullshit.”

“No, it’s not!” Nami shouted, “She told me I’d get treasure when we’re reunited from the castle and we did! Rei gave it to us!”

“And she told us where to find Sanji,” Usopp added.

“And she knew about the meatballs!” Chopper chimed in.

“That’s why they don’t get along,” Prince Ellis said drawing the attention back on him, “When Rei read that page, she was convinced it was about her. She went to go see Madame Cecilia. Rei won’t tell me what Madame Cecilia told her exactly but she definitely said it wasn’t her.”

Prince Ellis’ mind flashed back to a 13 year old Rei. She was strong even then and he had a hard time holding her back from charging towards Madame Cecilia’s front door again.

_ “YOU’RE WRONG!” Rei screamed at the door. _

_ “Shut up, you little brat!” came Madame Cecilia’s voice through the door, “I’m never wrong!”  _

_ “IT’S ME. I KNOW IT IS,” Rei screamed, “I’M GOING TO HELP THE KING. I’M GOING TO BRING BALANCE TO THIS ISLAND. YOU’LL SEE!” _

_ “I stand by what I said,” Madame Cecilia replied, “You are not the Red Hair.” _

Prince Ellis shook his head and looked dejectedly at the Straw Hats after he told them what he remembered. “Ever since then, Rei has been dismissing all of Madame Cecilia’s prophecies.” 

“I wonder who the Red Hair is then,” Usopp said, looking at Robin’s book.

“What are you guys talking about?” Luffy asked, bored and confused, “I’m hungry. SANJI! FOOD! I NEED TO EAT BEFORE WE GO!” 


	31. An Unexpected Turn

**REI & KING TANNENBAY**

Rei was glad she was wearing her mask, otherwise the entire room would see how nervous she was.

She was standing in a row with the other Commanders facing the king, who was sitting on the throne. The Prime Minister stood next to him. He looked more like a court jester than a prime minister, though. He had the jester hat on split into yellow and purple. His cloak, although matching the other cloaks in shape and form, was also in yellow and purple. His face was pale as snow and he had painted purple lips and long purple eyeliner extending to the edge of his face.

They were sitting through the morning report where each Commander updated the king on their duties from the previous day. A vacant spot was left for Commander Doru, who was still in the cell due to Rei not being able to clear his name just yet. Commander Salo just finished his report on the Green Cloaks, as they were under his command. It was Commander Mira's turn and she was giving the king her report on the investigation of the yellow bandana man's murder.

Commander Mira was a woman with large eyes and dark brown hair, which she wore in a tight bun on her head. She was tall and curvy. Under her cloak she wore a tight red dress and black mid-thigh boots. She used her sexuality as a weapon and Rei hated her for that. She told herself it was because it was a cheap trick to use and not because Rei herself was a bit flat chested, even without the chest band she wore underneath her clothes.

"Looking at the surveillance tapes, the man clearly took a knife and stabbed himself. He bled to death in his cell," she reported.

"How did a knife get in there?" The King asked.

"The tapes showed that a knife was thrown in there by someone but it was outside of the tape's surveillance zone so we couldn't see who it was," Commander Mira continued, "And outside there was a dead guard so I believe someone killed him to get the knife to the prisoner."

"Why didn't he just kill the prisoner himself?"

"I believe he was giving him a choice, Your Highness," Commander Mira, "Either betray the Web Gang or take your own life. Clearly, the prisoner made the honorable choice."

"That's not honorable," Rei interjected.

"Commander Rei~," the Prime Minister sang warningly, "It's not your turn yet."

"Sorry, Prime Minister," Rei said her tone calm and stagnant.

Underneath her cloak her hand held tightly to her transponder snail. _They should be on the patrol ships by now,_ she thought, _Come on, Luffy. Find the ships._

* * *

**LUFFY/FRANKY/BROOKE**

"OW! Luffy!" Franky's voice cried through one of the transponder snails on Luffy's patrol ship, "Have you found anything yet?"

"No," Luffy said frustratingly, "And there's no snacks on the ship either!"

"Luffy-san," Brook said through another transponder snail, "I haven't found anything either. We've searched three ships already and they've all been empty or with less than 30 people on them."

"OW!" Franky's voice said, "Same here."

"Yosh! Keep looking!" Luffy said into his snail, "Rei is counting on us!"

He hung up the snail and looked around the patrol ship. This ship was slightly bigger than Captain Nero's and filled with Green Cloaks instead of Red. There were only 6 other Green Cloaks on board with Luffy for this patrol, though, and there were 6 each on Franky's and Brook's as well.

He sniffed and yelled at a nearby Green Cloak, "Hey! Are you sure there's nothing to eat on this ship?"

"Sorry, sir," the Green Cloak responded, "We usually eat when we finish our shift and have docked the ship."

Luffy groaned and jumped off of the railing he was sitting on. "I'm going to find some food."

"SIR!" The Green Cloak said rushing to Luffy's side, "We have to stay on the deck and keep an eye on the docks. We don't have time to look for food."

"What?" Luffy asked, "It'll just be a minute."

He tried to side-step the Green Cloak but the Green Cloak blocked his way again, "I-I-I-I have to insist, sir."

"Huh?" Luffy asked raising an eyebrow suspiciously, "I know what you guys are up to."

"What?!" The Green Cloak jumped back startled, "What do you mean?"

"HE'S ONTO US!" Another Green Cloak cried. He took out two pistols from under his cloak and aimed it directly at Luffy.

"I KNEW IT!" Luffy cried as the Green Cloak fired the shots, "GOMU GOMU NO BALLOON!"

Luffy stretched to catch the bullets and flung it towards the Green Cloak, who quickly jumped aside to dodge it. The rest of the Green Cloaks rushed to surround Luffy aiming their weapons at him, "YOU GUYS ARE KEEPING THE SNACKS TO YOURSELF!"

What?! the Green Cloaks thought as the rubber man stretched out his leg back.

"Gomu Gomu no...Muchi!" Luffy cried as he swept his long legs across in a circle, knocking back a few of the Green Cloaks and throwing them into the water. 3 of them managed to dodge his attack though and started charging towards him.

"Don't underestimate us fighters from Beffi Island!" One of them shouted pulling out two swords running towards Luffy.

"We're stronger than you think!" Another one added swinging a heavy chain, heading towards Luffy's other side.

"You won't get away!" The last one shouted pointing a gun at Luffy's face

"YOU GUYS," Luffy shouted stretching out his arms in front of him and grabbing onto the door in front of him "ARE SO SELFISH!"

"Gomu gomu no Bazooka!" He cried flinging himself through the door. The first two Green Cloaks crash into one another and knock the other out, while the third one gets caught in Luffy's Bazooka and is flung through the door with him.

Luffy and the unconscious Green Cloak flew down a flight of stairs and landed in a heap at the bottom, with Luffy being on top.

The rubber man stood up while rubbing the spot on his head that got knocked the hardest. He looked around the room, his eyes adjusting to the dark. Beds and beds of unconscious pirates were laid out with IV drips in each of their arms.

"This isn't the kitchen!" Luffy whined and then he looked at the unconscious Green Cloak behind him. "I guess I misjudged you guys. Shi-shi-shi-shi. Sorry!"

The Green Cloak regained consciousness and started to rise to his feet, "Teme! I can't believe you discovered us so quickly."

"What?" Luffy asked confused.

"We were supposed to knock you and your friends unconscious and add you to the shipment to the Marines," he said slowly making his way towards Luffy.

At the word 'Marines', Luffy's head clicked. "OH! SO YOU GUYS ARE THE ONE'S WE'RE LOOKING FOR!"

"Yosh!" Luffy said as he swung his arm around to loosen up his shoulders, licking his lips.

"It'S TOO LATE!" The Green Cloak shouted pointing his pistols at Luffy, "My bullets are made of Sea Prism Stones. You're dead, Straw Hat Luffy!"

The Green Cloak pulled the trigger, emptying his rounds at the Rubber Man but Luffy, with his Observational Haki dodged every one them. The Green Cloak's eyes widen as Luffy stretched his arm behind him and cried out while whipping it forward, "GOMU GOMU NO PISTOL!"

The Green Cloak flew back up the stairs and landed on the pile of the other two Green Cloaks. Luffy ran up and hurriedly called each of the transponder snails.

"GUYS!" he cried into the phone, "IT'S ME, LUFFY! I'M ON ONE OF THE SHIPS. I FOUND THE PIRATES."

"WHAT?!" Nami cried, "WHERE ARE YOU?"

"I'M ON THE PATROL SHIP!" Luffy cried.

"OW! I thought you said you were on one of the super pirate ships?" Franky asked confused.

"NO, THE BODIES ARE ON THE PATROL SHIPS! IT WAS A TRAP!"

"WHAT?!" Nami, Brook, and Franky cried on their transponder snail.

"TEME!" came different voices from Brook's and Franky's transponder snails.

"OW, Luffy, I've got to go!" Franky said, "I have to fight these guys off. I'll call you in a bit."

"Me too, Luffy-san," Brook said among sword clashing.

Their two transponder snails clicked off, leaving only Nami connected.

"Okay, Luffy," Nami said, "I'll go tell Rei."

"Thanks," Luffy said, "Can you also do me a favor?"

"What do you need?"

"Can you come navigate this ship for me?"

"WHAT?!" Nami cried, "Where's everyone else?"

"Some are unconscious and some are in the ocean," Luffy said.

"Is the ship moving?!" Nami asked.

"Yes," Luffy said.

"In what direction," Nami asked.

"To the side," Luffy answered.

"IDIOT! ARE YOU HEADING TOWARDS THE WALL OR AWAY FROM IT?" Nami cried.

Luffy looked around. "Towards."

"YOU'RE GOING TO THE NAVY SIDE!" Nami cried, "TURN THE SHIP AROUND!"


	32. Rei's Oversight

**Nami, Usopp, and Chopper (Fortress)**

_ Purupurupurupuru. Purupurupurupuru. _

“BROOKE! FRANKY! ONE OF YOU PICK UP!” Nami yelled into her snails.

_ Purupurupurupuru. Catcha. _

“OW!”

“Franky!” Nami cried in relief, “Is everything okay?”

“OW! Super okay!” Franky cried, “I’ve taken over the ship and we’re back on the docks. Everyone is safe.”

“Get Brook and get on the Sunny now!” Nami ordered.

“What? Why?” Franky asked.

“Luffy is on his ship by himself! He doesn’t know how to turn it,” Nami vented, “And he’s heading straight for the Navy side!!!!” 

“But since my ship is good they’ll be missing 300 pirates,” Franky asked, “So the super deal is off.”

“Idiot! Luffy will still be in the hands of the marines! Rei and the king won’t be able to help him on the Navy side!” Nami cried, “Go save Luffy now!” 

“OW! Super count on me then!” Franky said before hanging up.

_ Catcha. _

Nami hung up her snail and breathed a small sigh of relief. Franky would be able to navigate the ship as soon as he can get on board and Brook can sail the Sunny back to the Pirate’s side.  _ Please make it on time _ , she prayed.

“Usopp, call Rei,” she said, “Tell her that we’ve stopped at least one of the boats. The deal is off.”

“Okay!” Usopp said giving her a thumbs up and ringing the snail in front of him.

_ Purupurupurupuru.  _

“Hello.”

“DON’T JUST SAY HELLO LIKE THIS IS A NORMAL CONVERSATION!” Usopp hollered back.

“But social protocol states that when greeting-,” Rei started to say.

“This is not the time!” Usopp shouted. 

“Sorry, Your Majesty, I need to take this call,” Rei said through the snail. Usopp heard some footsteps and then her muffled voice, “Sorry, Usopp. What’s the status? Did you guys find the ships?”

“Okay.” Usopp took a deep breath and reported as fast as he could, “So the bodies were actually on the same ships as Franky, Luffy, and Brook were. Franky was able to stop his ship and Luffy has taken over his as well but Luffy’s ship is still sailing towards the Navy. No word from Brook yet but we definitely have at least 300 of the pirates. The deal is off. Franky is going after Luffy’s ship now to stop it from getting to the Navy side.”

“Got it. Thank you,” Rei said as she hung up.

_ Catcha. _

Just then a big bang came through at the front of the fortress.

“Wh-wh-what was that?” Usopp cried.

“I dont’ know,” Nami answered, eyes widened.

“Should we go get Sanji?” Usopp said as they heard a second bang.

“S-S-S-S-Sanji-kun is already up in the castle kitchen with Jeffrey,” Nami said stammering.

“What’s going on?” Jeffrey’s voice shouted from behind them.

They turned around. “WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?” Nami cried.

Jeffrey rubbed the back of his head, blushing slightly, “I decided to leave ‘Black Foot’ Sanji in the kitchen. I felt like I’d be in the way so I came back.”

Just then a third bang came again.    
  
“I-I-I-Is someone trying to get in?” Usopp gasped.

Jeffrey’s eyes narrowed and his body tensed up. “You two, go get the queen and move her into the passage way to the castle. Protect her and wait for me there!”

“Okay!” Usopp said. He never needed to be told twice when instructed to go away from a fight.

“What about you?” Nami asked.

“Stay with Adela-chan!” Jeffrey shouted. 

Nami and Usopp were scared as it was the first time they’ve seen him angry. They rushed into the room leaving Jeffrey behind.

* * *

 

**REI & KING TANNENBAY**

Rei hung up the phone and turned to face the king. All eyes were on her now. 

“The deal is off,” she said to the king.

“What deal?” Commander Mira asked.

“The deal Tarantula had with the Navy,” Rei said and then she turned to the Prime Minister, “Aren’t you going to tell her she’s speaking out of turn, Tarantula?”

There was some gasps and a few jumps as the Commander Salo and Commander Mira looked at the Prime Minister. Neither the king or Rei moved from their original spot.

The Prime Minister smiled sinisterly and let out a silky voice, “Ah so you found out about my little deal, Commander Rei~. How clever of you.”

“I’m a genius,” Rei replied.

“NO, YOU’RE NOT!” growled Prime Minister, his face now twisted in a harsh glare and his voice turning rough and low, “ _ I’M  _ THE GENIUS, NOT YOU!”

“The deal is off, Tarantula,” Rei said, “It’s over.”

“No, it’s nooooot~,” Came the silky voice again as the Prime Minister glided over towards Rei, “You didn’t find out about my second deal~.”

Rei’s eyes widened. 

“SEE?!” the Prime Minister growled, back in his twisted manner, “I’LL TAKE YOUR SILENCE AS A YES! I WIN! I WIN!!!”

“WHAT’S THE SECOND DEAL?” the king shouted from his throne.

The Prime Minister whirled around and looked at the king for a long minute and then his lips spread into a smile. “Oh, Your Majesty~! For a second I’ve forgotten about you. Oh-ho-ho-ho-ho! Yes, for a second I was too transfixed on your little protege.” 

“What’s the second deal, Tarantula?” King Tannenbay demanded again.

“WOULDN’T YOU LOVE TO KNOW,” The Prime Minister growled, baring his teeth for the king to see his fangs.

“Straw Hat Luffy,” Rei guessed as it was the only thing that made sense in her mind, “and his crew. With the combined bounties, they’re worth more than 1000 pirates.” 

“Good guess~,” the Prime Minister sang as he turned his attention back onto Rei, “But the Straw Hats were just the cherry on top of an already made sundae~ Why would I promise the Straw Hats when I could give them someone the Navy has been wanting for a long~ long~ time~”

Realization struck as Rei put the pieces together. The first deal was a decoy, a bonus if it could get pulled off but the real deal was…

“WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY DAD?!” Rei screamed, losing full composure. 

She charged at the Prime Minister but was caught around the waist by one of the Commanders. She looked up to see Commander Mira smiling menacingly down at her.


	33. Rei's Past: What's a Genius

Zoro, despite himself, was actually having a pretty good time with the prince and princess. They had walked along the different stalls and pushed past crowds to see the street entertainers perform. Zoro and Robin, per the request of the Royal Highnesses, wore masks to blend in. Robin got a cute fox mask and for a reason beyond Zoro’s knowledge, he was left stuck wearing a frog one. Besides that, it was an overall pleasant morning.

And then the prince asked to go to the cemetery.

The princess was asleep, tired from all the activities, and was napping on Zoro's back while he carried her. Her carrier wished that he could take a nap himself. Zoro and Robin followed the prince’s lead to the island’s cemetery and they stood silently behind him as the prince sat down in front of one of the graves. It was a small one. Nothing fancy but there were some wild flowers growing around it. It seemed no one has visited this grave in a while.

"Hello, Rosa-sama. I finally came to see you," the prince said when they arrived.

"Rosa?" Robin gasped. She motioned for Zoro to step aside to let Prince Ellis have some privacy. She sensed that there were a lot of things the prince had to say.

The prince sat down in front of the grave, while Zoro and Robin stood under a tree nearby. Zoro placed Mirabelle gently down on a grassy knoll for her to continue her nap. The prince spoke in hushed and low tones to the grave but Robin and Zoro could hear the emotion in his voice.

"Hey guys," the prince called out after a little while, "Come over here."

Zoro and Robin walked over, Mirabelle still asleep.

"Mirabelle, my sister, is here too. She's asleep or else I know she'd like to meet you" the prince said to the tombstone, "You know, she looks Mother-sama more and more everyday, which is great. Could you imagine if she looked like Father-sama?"

He laughed a little to himself before continuing, "And the two behind me, they're Rei's friends. Can you believe it? She made friends! It's not just these two, either. There’s a whole group of them now."

He paused a little as tears started to form in his eyes. "Mother-sama says hi too and that she misses you," he said softly, "Everyday she misses you. We all do."

He knelt there for awhile just staring at the grave. Finally, he wiped the tears off his face and turned towards Robin and Zoro.

"Okay, let's go sit somewhere and wait for Mirabelle to wake up," he said getting to his feet and walking out of the cemetery.

Zoro and Robin followed quietly behind him. They found a quiet, grassy area by the docks. Zoro, Robin, and the prince sat there staring at the ocean as Mirabelle slept.

"Your Highness," Robin said after awhile, "This grave...How come it looks like no one has visited her in years?”

“It’s hard for me and family to leave the castle so we haven’t been able to come here for a long time,” Prince Ellis explained, “And Jeffrey-san stays inside.”

“But what about the Know It All?” Zoro interjected, breaking his silence since they stepped foot into the cemetery, “Doesn’t she want to visit her mother?”

“She does,” Prince Ellis says, “She just doesn’t come here.”

“Huh?” Zoro asked.

Prince Ellis pointed to the top of the Wall at the edge of the island. “Ever since her mother’s death, she would sit there every morning. She can see Rosa-sama’s grave from there. Over time it just became one of her rituals and she scouts from that point during the day.”

“But she never comes to the actual grave?” Robin asked.

Prince Ellis shook his head. “She won’t go anywhere near it. We don’t even bring up Rosa-sama’s name around Rei anymore. Everytime I do, she either leaves the room or threatens to beat me up.”

“Why? Did they not get along?” Zoro asked.

“Just the opposite,” Prince Ellis said defensively, “Rei loved her mother very much.”

“That doesn’t make sense. Shouldn’t she want to visit her then?” Zoro asked.

Prince Ellis took a deep breath. “Rei thinks her mother died because of her.”

The group fell silent.

“Prince Ellis…” Robin asked hesitantly, “Could you tell us more about Rosa-san? If it’s not too painful for you, I mean...”

Prince Ellis stared at the black haired pirate and nodded his head. "Rosa-sama," he said as he looked into the ocean, "She was Mother-sama's best friend. In fact, father built the Wall for her and Jeffrey-san."

* * *

 

**\- Flashback 22 years, Right before the Wall was Built -**

Even after becoming friends, Rosa would still not take no for an answer from the king. She stood in front of the doorway to the king and queen's bedroom with her arms spread wide, blocking the king from entering.

"Apologize!" she demanded to the king, "Apologize now!"

The king stared wide-eyed at his red headed cook, "B-b-b-but..."

"You left her alone! AGAIN!" Rosa said. She pointed a finger and jabbed it into the king's chest, "How many dinners are you going to make her eat alone?!"

"But I had to go -" King Tannenbay started to say.

"NO EXCUSES!" Rosa cried, "She is your wife! How do you think she feels? And on her birthday too!"

The King's eyes widened in horror. _Did I forget Adela-san's birthday? I'm sure it's next month. Isn't it?_

Suddenly, laughter broke through the room and the queen walked over to the doorway.

"She's just trying to make you feel guilty, dear," she said, warming the king's heart with her smile, "My birthday is next month."

"I knew that," the king said weakly, "I'm sorry for neglecting you, Adela-san. Things have just gotten really busy since Father-sama’s death and everyone wants to see what kind of king I’ll be. I was just..."

"I understand," Queen Adela replied, "Rosa just makes it a bigger deal than it is."

"Well, someone has to look out for you," Rosa said smiling back at her best friend, "And this guy is too busy to do that."

Queen Adela hugged her friend from the back, as she was still guarding the door, "Thank you, Rosa-chan but you’re no longer my guard. You’re my cook now!"

“I’m still your champion,” Rosa said with a grin.

Suddenly two Green Cloaks ran down the hallway towards them.

"Your Highness! Your Highness!" they called as they stopped right before the king and saluted.

"What is it?" The King asked calmly.

"Another group of Marines were found on the Pirate Side of the island, sir," one of the Green Cloaks said.

"Again?" The King asked, "This is the third time this week!"

Queen Adela gasped as she instinctively reached for friend's arm but Rosa stood calm.

"I'll need to speak to Commander Doru now. Tell him to meet me in my study," The King said to the Green Cloaks, dismissing them.

"Yes, sir." They replied with a salute.

The King turned to his wife and Rosa and smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry I have to leave you again but I will be back as soon as I can."

As soon as they left, the queen turned to her friend, "Are you and Jeffrey going to be alright?"

"We'll be fine. Jeffrey is strong," Rosa said smiling reassuringly at her friend. She turned and frowned at the door, "The World Government is getting bolder, defying their agreement with this island like that."

"Do you think they ordered the marines to sneak over the border?" Queen Adela asked.

"They had to have," Rosa said, "Although, the Navy will never admit it. They'll just say the marines went on their own. I wonder what Prince Alf...Ah no, it’s the king now..what King Tannenbay is going to do?"

\--

"A WALL?" Jeffrey shouted when Rosa told him the king's plan, "Why does he suddenly want to build a wall?"

"He's going to build it to block out the Navy," Rosa explained patiently, "And he's going to build the wall around the castle and over Fort Dixon.”

Jeffrey scratched his head. “Why Fort Dixon?”

“We're going to live there."

"Why are we going to live in an abandoned fortress?" Jeffrey asked. His sudden jerk of surprise caused Gully to flap his wings and shed some feathers.

"Don't scare Gully," Rosa said stroking the seagull, "He's getting older, you know."

"Gully is fine," Jeffrey said cheerfully, giving the seagull a snack, "He can still fly across the ocean to give you letters, I bet."

Rosa blushed at the memories of the love letters her and Jeffrey used to exchange and gave her husband a quick peck on the cheek, "We're still moving to the fortress. No complaints!"

**\- Flashback 15 years Ago, 6 years after the wall was built -**

"Reia?" Rosa asked as she finished tying the second braid to her 5 year old daughter's hair.

"Yes, Mom?" Reia asked, swinging her feet a little as they dangled far above the ground. She stroked Gully, who was sitting on her shoulder.

"Did you get into another fight with Prince Ellis?" Rosa asked.

"Yes," Reia said without hesitation.

"Why?" Rosa asked.

"He said I was weird," Reia said, “So I punched him.”

"You're not weird," Rosa assured her daughter. She gave her daughter a kiss at the top of her head to signal she was done, "You're a genius."

"What does that mean?" Reia asked jumping off the chair, Gully squawking in protest. She said the word again to see how it felt off her tongue. “Genius.” It had a nice ring to it.

"It means," her mom said, taking Reia’s little hand and walking her towards the fireplace, "that you can do things a lot of people can't."

"Like what?" Reia asked.

"Well, if I could tell you, I'd be a genius too," Rosa said, "So why don't you tell me? Is there anything you can do that most people can't?"

Reia thought about it for a while. "I can call you 'Mom'."

Rosa burst into laughter. "Yes, that is something only you can do."

Reia smiled, happy to make her mother happy. Her mind raced with things other people couldn't do that she could...but then she remembered something that made her frown. About something a certain someone couldn't do.

"Mom," she asked, "Why can't Dad go to the academy to see me train?"

"Because he used to be a pirate," Rosa answered honestly, "And he's not allowed in that area."

"Is that why he never leaves the Wall?" Reia asked.

"Yes, dear," Rosa answered, "But he's okay with that as long as you, me, and Gully are safe and able to go outside."

"Has he ever left the Wall?" Reia asked.

"Yes," Rosa said smiling a little, "It's not like your dad and I were born here."

"Unlike me," Reia said.

"Unlike you," her mother agreed.

"Can we go outside now?" Reia asked.

"Why?"

"I want to pick some flowers for Dad," Reia said, "So he can have something outside of the Wall."

"No, you can't right now," Rosa said sadly, "I have to go back to the kitchen and help your father. It's almost lunch time and we need to prepare for the king. Why don't you stay here with Gully? I'll be back soon and then we can go together."

When her mother left, Reia sat silently in the room, stroking Gully, and thinking about what her mother had told her.

A genius, she thought, is someone who can do something others can't do. Mom and Dad can't go outside right now but I can. I know the way out and I know how to get back in. Other people don't know how to do that either.

She then stood up, with Gully still resting on her shoulders, and walked to the door. _I'll be fast and back before Mom and Dad get back. I'll collect extra flowers to surprise Mom too!_

She smiled to herself as she closed the door behind her. Happy with her plan.

 


	34. Rei's Past: A Daughter's Promise

_\- Flashback 15 years Ago, 6 years after the wall was built -_

5-year-old Reia and Gully were having a great time. Gully was perched on a tree branch above her. They were towards the edge of the island, between the town and the docks. It was surrounded by tall trees and beautiful flowers. She reminded herself to be quick and to get home before her parents did. She wanted to surprise them with fresh flowers but she also knew how worried her dad gets whenever her and her mom left the house.

She decided that she should also practice her Observational Haki. She liked the training exercises at the academy, even though none of the other students seemed to. She closed her eyes and sensed the things around her. She felt Gully overhead almost immediately and she smiled to herself as the old bird flew by.

Then, suddenly, she felt something bad. She didn't know how to describe it but it made her stomach tighten. She turned around to see what it could be but she saw nothing.

I need to run, she said clutching her flowers tightly in one hand. She looked up at Gully, perched over head. She should warn him too. His eyes were not as good as they used to be so he might not notice she's moving.

Suddenly, she heard some rustling in the bushes behind her. It was too close for her liking so she quickly ran forward and hid behind a tree. She prayed that Gully saw her moving.

Suddenly, two men came out of the leaves. One was slim and not very tall while the other one was twice his size.

"Where'd she go?" the slim man said.

"I thought she headed this way," the tall one replied.

"SHIT!" the slim man said, "I thought we had her! My brother would've been so happy."

"Why do we need the brat?" the tall one asked, "I thought Tarantula wanted pirates?"

"Idiot!" the slim man shouted, "Her _dad_ is the pirate!"

"OOOOH!" The tall one said slowly, "So we're using the brat as bait!"

The slim man slapped his palm to his face, "I've told you this 100 times."

"Sorry, boss," the tall one said.

"YOU CAN'T HAVE MY DAD!" Rei screamed as she lunged out of her hiding place.

She was very quick, even compared to an adult. Her speed helped propel her forward and she used her head to land a hard hit in the tall man's chest, like a small child rocket. The tall one gasped and rolled into a ball. He tumbled backwards and kept spinning until he was out of sight.

"GULLY, GET HELP!" she screamed, not looking back at the bird to see if he was listening.

"You little brat!" the slim man shouted as he grabbed Rei by her braids, pulling her back.

Rei gasped as she felt the pain of her roots being pulled but she quickly found her footing. She leapt up and somersaulted over the slim man, landing on his shoulders. He was still holding onto her braids.

"LET GO OF MY HAIR!" she cried, hitting his head with her fists as if beating a drum, "LET GO, YOU MEAN MAN!"

"OW OW OW OW OW OW" the man cried as he dropped her braids, "COME HERE!"

He reached up to get a hold of Rei but she immediately jumped off his shoulders to the ground.

_ I can do this, _ she thought to herself, _ I can beat him. _

She stepped back to create more space but then she suddenly bumped into something large. She turned to see what she had bumped into and her eyes widened in fear.

It was another man's leg. She looked up to see the leg’s owner staring down at her with a frown.

"Wh-wh-what are you doing here?" the slim man gasped at the new man.

"The Boss sent me to check on you," the new addition said, "He doesn't think you can handle a kid."

"Shut up!" the slim man spat back, "He's just worried about his younger brother, that's all."

The new man looked doubtful as he picked up Reia from the ground by the back of her shirt. She struggled and started to flail her arms in front of her, trying to land a punch.

The new man chuckled a low chuckle, "Feisty little one, aren't you?"

Instinct kicked in and Reia head butted the man squarely in the nose.

"SHIT!" he cried, dropping her to the ground.

She fumbled a little and then scrambled to get back on her feet.

"REIA?!" Rosa's call cut through the air.

"MOM?!" Reia cried back running towards the sound.

"REIA!" Rosa's voice was now getting closer.

"MOM!" Reia cried!

"NOT SO FAST!" the man shouted as he reached out again for Reia.

"TAKE YOUR HANDS OFF OF MY DAUGHTER, YOU BASTARD!" Rosa cried as she suddenly appeared behind the man, landing a hard kick in the middle of his back.

He fell forward as Rosa stood on his back. Her legs shook a little and then spat out a couple drops of blood on the ground next to him.

"MOM!" Reia said running forward, "Dad said you weren't allowed to use your Haki!"

"REIA! IF YOU ARE TO KNOW ANYTHING, KNOW THIS!" Her mom cried pointing a finger at her daughter before breaking into a grin and a wink, "Your mother is always right."

She bent down to give her daughter a reassuring kiss on the cheek and Reia beamed back at her as she stood back up. Suddenly a knife flew by Rosa's face. It grazed her cheek causing tiny droplets of blood to fall down. The slim man, who was the knife's owner, glared at her.

"You being here makes no difference," he said running towards them, "Now it's more of a reason to lure your husband out!"

"MOM!" Reia cried.

Rosa quickly rushed to the side of her daughter, grabbed her by the waist, and they ran through the trees together. Reia was shocked at her mother's speed. She never realized how fast her mom could run. Then again, they were never in a situation where they had to run. Her mother wove in and out of trees effortlessly as if she was flying on the ground.

They could hear footsteps behind them so they weren't in the clear just yet.

Suddenly, they heard a man's roar and Rosa skidded to a halt.

"WHERE THE FUCK IS MY FAMILY?" Jeffrey bellowed.

"That idiot!" Rosa whispered, eyes wide, "I told him to stay behind."

Rosa lifted Reia up and put her on one of the branches of a nearby tree that was off to the side and hidden. "Stay here, Reia. Don't make a sound. I'll be right back!"

Reia nodded as she watched her mother run back from where they came from. Suddenly, just as fast as her mother took off, she was back again. This time with her father.

"DAD!" Reia cried from the tree top.

"ROSA!" Jeffrey shouted as his wife doubled over as blood poured out of her mouth.

"You," Rosa gasped, "...Idiot. Why didn't you stay in the castle?"

"You ran off to get Reia and then Gully came afterwards!" Jeffrey ranted, "What was I supposed to think? I thought you two were dead! What about you? Why are you using your Haki?! I'm too big for you to carry!"

Suddenly, they could hear footsteps of multiple feet heading for them from up ahead.

"They're coming," Reia gasped, clutching the tree.

Jeffrey lifted up his daughter and handed her to Rosa. "You guys go, I'll fight them off."

"No, you can't," Rosa said firmly, "Luckily, I found you before they did. If they spot you, they'll know for sure you are still on this island and they will keep hunting you. We need to run, Jeffrey. And we need to go NOW!"

Reia tugged at her dad's arm. Tears were starting to well up in her eyes. She didn’t fully understand what was going on but she knew it was dangerous to be out here. “Dad, please. Let's go home."

He sighed and he nodded, cursing himself for his inability to protect his own family.

The footsteps grew louder and now they were coming from all directions.

"Where do we go?" Reia whispered, holding tightly to her mother.

"We have no choice," Rosa said sadly looking at her husband with a solemn expression. He instantly knew what she was thinking.

"Rosa-chan," Jeffrey warned, "There has to be another way. I can fight. Just let me fight!"

"Promise me," she said not looking away from her husband, "Promise me you'll stay hidden. Promise me you'll stay safe!"

Jeffrey started to cry as he nodded slowly to his wife. When Rosa set her mind on something, there was no going back. Whatever she wanted, she made happen, "Okay. I promise."

Then she looked down at her daughter, as the footsteps got even closer. Any minute now, they were going to spot them.

"Reia," she said softly, "Promise me something."

Reia looked up, finding an odd time for her mother to be asking for favors. "Yes, mom. I promise."

"You haven't heard the promise yet," her mother said giving a small laugh, "Can you promise me that you'll protect your father? Promise me that you'll grow up strong and protect the ones you love?"

"I promise," Reia said solemnly.

"Okay then," Rosa said taking a deep breath as she pulled her daughter and her husband close to her, "Let's go."


	35. Rei's Past: Rosa's Happiness

_\- Flashback 15 years Ago, 6 years after the wall was built -_

"MOM!" Rei cried shaking her mom, who had collapsed on the floor, covered in her own blood, "MOM!"

"Reia!" the king shouted as he pulled the child away from her dying mother.

They were back at the palace. Rosa used Linked Haki and the last of her strength to safely transport her husband and her child across the island and behind the castle walls. Jeffrey knelt over his wife, sobbing uncontrollably when the queen and the king found them in the middle of their room. It was the same room where the queen stayed the first night she had came to the island with Rosa.

"I-I-I'm sorry," Rosa gasped to the queen, who was holding her friend's hand, coughing up blood as she spoke, "This was the first place I could think of. I didn't mean to startle you."

"Don't apologize!" cried Queen Adela, tears streaming down her face, "That was a smart decision. I can save you! I can save you!"

She put her hands on Rosa's shoulders and concentrated on transferring her own Haki, hoping that it'll help stabilize Rosa's condition.

"Mom!" Reia cried. She leapt of the king's arms and rushed to her mom's side.

"Reia," her mom whispered. She placed her hand on top of her daughter's head as Reia cried into her chest.

"I'm sorry," Reia whimpered, "I didn't mean to hurt anyone. I wanted to surprise you with flowers."

"I know," Rosa whispered, "You don't need to apologize. You're okay now."

"Rosa!" The King roared, "What were you thinking using your Linked Haki so recklessly! You're not a fighter! You haven't trained your body for it."

"My daughter," Rosa gasped, "is safe, Your Majesty. That's all that matters."

"I'm sorry," Reia whimpered again, "I shouldn't have left. I thought I could be back in time. I thought I could fight them off too but I couldn't. I can't do anything!"

"You can and you will," Rosa said using all her strength to speak clearly as she lifted her child's head and looked directly into her eyes, "Remember our promise, Reia. You can do it."

"I can't," Reia cried tears spilling out of her eyes, "I can't do it."

"You can," Rosa repeated even more firmly than before, "You're a genius and I believe in you."

Reia cried harder, unable to form words.

"Don't ever think differently, do you hear me?" Rosa said looking at her daughter, "If I say you're a genius, you're a genius. Because..."

Rosa coughed up blood before she could finish her sentence and her hand fell to her side.

"Because you're always right," Reia whispered. She took her mom's hand into her smaller ones and clutched it tightly to her.

"That's right," Rosa said smiling at her daughter, "Whatever happens, remember that you are strong and use that to protect the ones you love."

She started to vomit up even more blood. The blood started to seep into the queen's dress.

"Stop talking!" Queen Adela said, "I will save you. You're going to be fine!"

Rosa put her free hand around her friend's wrist and looked up at her. She shook her head. The queen's tears spilled out as Adela pushed her friend's hands away.

"You haven't controlled your Haki either, Adela-sama," Rosa whispered, "Please don't risk it for me."

“Will you quit being my champion?” Queen Adela sobbed.

"Stop trying to protect everyone!" Jeffrey cried putting his forehead on top of his wife's head, "Stop it! Let us protect you now."

"All my life, Jeffrey," Rosa said weakly, giving her husband a smile, "I dreamed of having a family. Of being able to love and protect a husband and child of my own. You have given me that...You two are my everything and if I had lost either one of you, I might as well be dead. I'm happy to die as long as you two are safe."

"Stop talking like that!" Jeffrey cried, "You're not going to die."

“I want you to be safe,” Rosa said with a smile, “And I made it happen.”

"MOM!" Reia cried.

Rosa put one hand back on her child's head while the other reached up to touch her husband's cheek. Her eyes were determined with no signs of tears as she smiled at the two of them. "I love you."

Reia's world turned silent as she felt her mother's hands drop in slow motion. She saw her father throw his head back and cry but she couldn't hear a sound. The queen screamed something too, planting both her hands on Rosa's shoulders, but again, Reia heard and felt nothing. She felt herself get lifted up again by the king and held on the side. He turned to look at her to say something but she couldn't make out the words. She blinked at him and then looked back at her mother who looked as if she was asleep.

Everything seemed to move slowly. Green Cloaks ran into the room and the king shouted at them but Reia couldn't understand. Her mind had become a blur and she was unable to control it. Suddenly, the king was looking at her and shouting. She tried to focus her mind back to what he was saying and then suddenly everything went dark.

"REIA!" The King shouted as the child passed out in his arms, "REIA!"

"Put her on the bed!" the queen cried, still concentrating on her friend. She was covered in sweat now, her gown thoroughly drenched  in her friend's blood.

"GET THE DOCTOR!" Queen Adela shouted at the Green Cloaks, "Someone get the doctor now!"

Adela could feel her Haki surge through her hands and into her friend's body but Rosa was still not moving.  _ Come on, _ she said, _ come on! _ She pushed her haki more but still nothing. She kept sending more and more haki through until suddenly blood started to pour out of her nose. Amongst the protest of the king, Jeffrey, and some of the Green Cloaks, she kept going. Her vision started to get blurry and her ears started to ring but only one thought was in her head. One voice. 

_ “I’m Cogan Rosa and I’m going to be your champion!” _

Suddenly two hands were put on top of hers and it broke her concentration. She looked up to see Jeffrey's tearful face as he shook his head. "You'll die if you save her, Adela-chan."

"THEN LET ME DIE!" the queen cried surging her Haki through her hands again but this time Jeffrey grabbed her by the waist and pulled her away.

"She'll be very upset if you gave your life in return for hers," he said as sternly as he could through his tears and snot dribbling down his chin.

"DON'T YOU WANT YOUR WIFE BACK?' the queen cried, "DON'T YOU WANT HER TO LIVE?!"

"I WANT HER TO LIVE IN A WORLD WHERE SHE'LL BE HAPPY!" Jeffrey roared back and then he spoke softer, his voice breaking, "And she won't be happy in a world where she lived and you didn't."

He let go of the queen and knelt beside the love of his life. He brushed a piece of red hair out of his wife's face, where a small smile was on her lips. "She's gone, Adela-chan...but she's happy."


	36. Rei's Past: First Kill

_\- Flashback 15 years Ago, 6 years after the wall was built -_

When Reia woke up, she was in the bed of the king and queen. Her father was crying next to her. She blinked a couple of times. Her eyes were sore from crying. Reia usually never cried so the outpour from her mother's death definitely was something her body wasn't used to. She had even cried through her sleep. She looked at where her mother was last but Rosa wasn't there anymore. Now it was just a large sheet of black fabric to temporarily cover up the blood stains on the floor.

"Dad," Reia whispered quietly, alerting her dad to her consciousness.

He lifted his head and he looked at his daughter, smiling through his tears, "Reia! You're awake!"

Reia's little mind flashed through the events and she tried to make sense of it all. "Who were those men in the fields?"

Her dad was startled by his daughter's question. He didn't know how to answer her. _What would Rosa do?_

And then as if a soft voice entered his head, he knew the answer. Tell her the truth.

"Hunters," he said his voice shaking a little, "They were bounty hunters."

"They said they wanted you," she said staring back at the ceiling.

"Yes," he said tears falling back down on his face, "Yes, they were looking for me."

"Why?" she asked.

"Because I used to be a pirate," he said as the feeling of guilt ripped through his gut.

"But pirates are welcome on this island," she said.

"Yes but outside of this island, there are people who do not want them," her father explained, "And they pay a high reward to anyone who captures them."

"So they wanted to take you away," she said quietly.

"Yes," her father whispered as he weeped into the covers.

“For money.”

“Yes.”

Suddenly, a knock at the door interrupted the conversation and the king walked in. He coughed and struggled to find the right words to say.

"Reia," he said gently, "I need you to do something for me. But it won't be easy."

"What do you want?" Jeffrey cried, "She just woke up. She's just a child. Leave her alone!"

The king put a hand on Jeffrey's shoulder. "I am doing what's best for you and the child. I am trying to protect you."

At the word 'protect', Jeffrey lost it. He grabbed the king by the collar and lifted him high up the ground.

"DAD!" Reia cried, alarmed at the action of her usually gentle father.

"DON'T TELL ME YOU'RE TRYING TO PROTECT ME AND REIA," Jeffrey thundered, "YOU SAID TO TRUST YOU. THAT YOU'LL BE ABLE TO HANDLE THE NAVY AND THE BOUNTY HUNTERS. YOU SAID WE ONLY NEEDED TO HIDE TEMPORARILY AND YOU COULD HANDLE IT. IS THIS YOU HANDLING IT?"

Jeffrey threw the king towards the black cloth on the floor. "TELL ME IS THIS PART OF YOUR PLAN? IS THIS YOUR WAY OF PROTECTING US?! IS THIS WHAT A SENSIBLE KING DOES?!"

The king, who had remained calm and the only stable mind during Rosa's death, finally broke. Tears streamed down his face as he gathered the cloth in his hands. "I never meant for this to happen," he whispered.

He turned to face Jeffrey and Reia, still kneeling on the ground and he put his head on the ground, bowing to them.

"I'M SORRY!" the king shouted at the father and daughter, his tears hot and wet against his cheeks, "I can never make up for what has happened. I can only try to make things right. I will set things right. For you and the rest of the island."

Suddenly, he felt a small hand on his back and he looked up to see little Reia, looking at him with a solemn expression on her face. "I can help."

"Reia!" Jeffrey cried, reaching out to his daughter, "Reia, come back. You don't need to! Let's go home. You'll need rest."

Reia ignored her father and continued to stare down at the crying king. "I can help," she repeated, "Just tell me what to do."

_ “Can you promise me that you'll protect your father?” _

Her mother's words echoed through Reia's head

_ “Promise me that you'll grow up strong and protect the ones you love.” _

"Reia," her father said softly astounded at how resilient this tiny girl was given the circumstances.

The king looked up at the girl. Her green eyes shown with determination. Besides the tear stains on her cheeks, there was no sign of sadness on her face anymore. In fact, there was no sign of any emotion.

"I need you to tell me what the men looked like," The king said, gaining control back into his voice.

He wiped the tears from his face and slowly got back up on his feet. He looked down at the girl. "Can you do that for me?"

Reia nodded.

* * *

 

A few hours later, the King requested Reia to help him again. This time to identify a man the Green Cloaks had caught using Reia's description.

"This is going to be harder than you think," the king warned Reia as he walked her down the hallway. Jeffrey stayed behind in the queen and king's room with the queen, herself, who had been put on strict bed rest. The less attention Jeffrey drew the better. Something they all agreed upon.

"I'm ready," Reia said as they walked to the king's throne.

He sat down on his throne with Reia standing closely by him while he motioned for one of the Green Cloaks to bring the man in.

Reia's body went numb as they dragged in the slim man from earlier that day. Two Green Cloaks held up each of his arms. He was looking face down and his body was partially limp. It was clear he tried to fight them but was unsuccessful. Images of his sneer, his gloat, and even of the knife he threw at Rosa passed through Reia's mind.

"Hey, pretty girl," the slim man said with a sinister smile when he saw Reia.

She gritted her teeth and she clenched her fist. "DON'T COMPLIMENT ME OR I'LL KILL YOU," she cried unable to contain herself.

The King put a hand on her shoulder for assurance. "So you are the one who attacked this little girl and the Royal Chef?"

"I'm not admitting to anything, you lousy King!" the slim man shouted holding up his head and looking defiantly up at the king, "Your days of being in power are over!"

"Is that a threat?!" King Tannenbay barked.

"My brother is getting closer," the slim man said with a smile, "Tarantula is gaining more power. He's too clever for you. You will fall and so will this stupid wall, and this stupid island with it's STUPID POLICIES!"

He then directed his attention to Reia, "And you, you little brat, will watch everyone around you die. We'll kill every person that you hold dear to you right in front of your pretty little face."

Suddenly, a flash of red flew past the king. He blinked to clear his eyes and when he opened them he saw that Reia had stabbed the slim man in the belly.  It happened so quickly that none of the adults even saw it coming. She had rushed over, taken a knife from one of the Green Cloaks, and plunged it hard into the slim man.

The slim man spat out blood while Reia stayed where she was, holding the knife firmly into his belly and then twisted it to inflict more damage.

"I told you," she seethed, "I'd kill you if you complimented me again."

She pulled out the knife, unleashing an outpour of blood. The slim man fell flat on his face, dead.

"Reia!" the king shouted.

She looked over at the king, a splatter of the man's blood on her cheek. Her face was calm but her green eyes glaring.

"He threatened my family," she stated before dropping the knife and walking away from the group, “I did it to protect my family.”

Her tiny footsteps echoed as the king and the Green Cloaks stood shocked at what they had just witnessed.


	37. Save Luffy

A wind blew past Prince Ellis, Robin, Zoro as they looked at the ocean ahead of them with a napping Mirabelle on the side. They sat in silence as Robin and Zoro contemplated what Prince Ellis has just told them.

"So that's why she had a hard time with you and your past," Robin said looking over at Zoro, who put his hands on his head and laid back on the grass. He didn't respond and had remained silent since they left the cemetery.

"Ever since that day," Ellis explained, "Something changed in Rei. She used to train because she loved it but then she started to train as if her life depended on it. Because she wanted to get stronger."

"She wanted to help the king bring balance to the island," Robin guessed, "Which is why she was so upset at Madame Cecilia when she told her she couldn't do it."

Ellis nodded, "She has done really well though. Since she joined the Beffi Army, she had taken down a significant amount of Tarantula's group and now she's about to stop the deal with the Navy."

He smiled sadly up at the sky, "She's working hard to fulfill her promise to Rosa-sama."

Suddenly a cry echoed through the air, making Zoro prop himself back up and look to the ocean.

"OYYYYYYY!" came the yell of a familiar yell, "ZORO! ROBIN! HELP!"

"LUFFY?!" they cried as they see their captain stretching his arms far up in the air and waving to them furiously from a patrol ship, sailing by.

"OW! LUFFY!" came Franky's cry as the Sunny sailed into view, going full speed and trying to catch up with its Captain, "SUPER SLOW DOWN THE SHIP!"

"I don't know how!" Luffy cried back to his nakama.

"TURN THE RUDDER, LUFFY-SAN!" Brook cried from the Sunny as well.

"WHAT'S A RUDDER?" Luffy yelled back.

"That idiot," Zoro muttered, "Just leave him alone, Franky will get to him eventually."

"There's not enough time!" Robin gasped pointing at the ship, "Can't you see the direction he's heading? It's going straight to the Navy side!"

Zoro jumped up, "WHAT?!"

"The Wall is literally right there," Prince Ellis said pointing in front of the boat, "How could you not tell?"

Zoro gritted his teeth, "Now's not the time. We need to go help Luffy. Robin, stay here with the prince and princess."

"Wait!" Robin cried, "What about the 300 pirates on board? They could still be asleep!"

"I don't care!" Zoro cried, "I'm saving Luffy, not them!"

He ran down the hill towards the ocean as he called out, "OY! FRANKY! GET READY TO JUMP IN THE WATER TO GET LUFFY! I'M GOING TO CUT THAT SHIP IN HALF."

"STOP!" Prince Ellis cried out, "YOU CANNOT CUT THE SHIP IN HALF. THE PIRATES ARE STILL ON THERE. I'M ORDERING YOU TO STOP!"

Zoro stopped running and looked back at the prince, "What?"

"If they fall into the water, they might not wake up and they will drown!" The Prince cried.

"THEN HOW ARE WE SUPPOSED TO STOP IT?!" Zoro shouted back. He was thoroughly annoyed. This was the second person on this island to stop him from attacking.

"MIL FLEUR! (Thousand Flowers)," Robin cried as she crossed her two hands in front of her.

A thousand hands sprouting one after another reached from the front of the Sunny to the back of Luffy's patrol ship, creating a chain. Suddenly, the hands started pulling towards each other to close the distance between the two ships. When the distance was close enough, Franky leapt over to the other side.

"OW! Thank you, Robin!" Franky shouted, giving them a thumbs up, "That was super helpful!"

"FRANKY!" Luffy cried waving at his crewmate. "You're here!"

"That idiot," Zoro snorted as he put his swords back and sat back down on the grass.

"Yo-ho-ho-ho!" Brook laughed from the Sunny, "I'll steer this back to the docks then!"

Everyone breathed a small sigh of relief when the patrol ship and the Sunny started to turn and head away from the Wall.

_BOOM!_

Suddenly a large explosion went off in the middle of the island. The explosion woke up Mirabelle as she sleepily rubbed her eyes.

"What's going on?" she mumbled.

_BOOM!_ A second explosion followed in the same direction. The group turned to look and their eyes widened as they saw a big pillar of smoke sprout out up against the Wall.

"Where is that coming from?" Zoro asked, squinting his good eye.

Prince Ellis scrambled to his feet and started to run towards the smoke. "THAT'S IN THE DIRECTION OF FORT DIXON. IT'S IN THE DIRECTION OF REI'S HOME. MOTHER-SAMA IS IN DANGER!"

"Usopp! Nami! Chopper!" Robin gasped as she helped Mirabelle up to her feet and the group started to run in that direction.

"LUFFY! FRANKY! BROOK!" Zoro called back to the group, "MEET US BACK AT THE FORT!

"OKAY!" Luffy yelled back smiling happily as he watched his friends run off.


	38. Zoro vs The Man Who Can't Be Sliced

Zoro ran ahead of the group as Robin stayed behind to make sure the prince and princess were safe. Of course, that meant that Zoro got separated and found himself back at the docks when the three had arrived at the fortress.

"OW! Zoro!" Franky said waving to Zoro as him, Brook, and Luffy jumped off the Sunny, "I thought you were going to meet us back at Rei's super fortress?"

“Haha! You got lost again," Luffy laughed.

Zoro gritted his teeth, "Shut up, Luffy!"

"Zoro-san, you really need to see where you're going. AH! Although, I, myself, have no eyes to see. Yohohohoho!" Brook laughed.

"ENOUGH!" Zoro shouted, "We need to head back to the fortress!"

"SUPER follow me, bros!" Franky shouted as he ran first ahead towards the pillar of smoke.

"Maybe we should ask Rei-san if she has a spare chain for you," Brook said as he ran past Zoro.

"I SAID SHUT UP!" Zoro yelled.

By the time the guys arrived at Fort Dixon, it was a complete mess. People in masks were fleeing the scene. The explosion has caused quite the panic in its surrounding areas. The front of the fortress had exploded wide open and smoke was billowing everywhere. Robin and the royal siblings were nowhere to be seen either.

"ROBIN!" Zoro shouted, "ARE YOU IN THERE?"

"USOPP! NAMI! CHOPPER!" Luffy cried out as well, "EVERYONE!"

"There's super too much smoke," Franky said, "We can't see anything like this."

"If only Nami-san was here," Brook said, "She could blow away the smoke with her wind."

At the mention of the word wind, Franky leapt into action. "OW! Stand back. It's time for me to super show off!"

"SUPER!" He cried putting his arms together to show off the blue star.

"Just do it already!" Zoro yelled.

"COUP DE VENT!" Franky cried, putting his palm forward and blasting a strong air into the smoke.

The smoke cleared and the guys' eyes widened at the scene in front of them. Robin, Prince Ellis, and Princess Mirabelle were trapped in what can only be described as individual, large jello molds. Each time they struggled and pushed a limb out, the jello would grow around it and get bigger. They shouted out to the guys but the jello trapped their words.

Standing between the jellos and the guys was one man. He was tall with big curved shoulders. He wore black sunglasses and a black cloak. His hair was also black but he wore a light green cap at the top, the shape of a mini jello mold.

_ What's with this guy?  _ Zoro thought as he clutched his sword.

"Gomu Gomu no Pistol!" shouted Luffy as his fist flew through the air landing straight into the man's chest. Luffy tried to pull his hand back but now it was stuck. The man smiled and tilted his head to the side.

"Your attack won't work on me, Straw Hat Luffy," he said his voice wobbling between a falsetto and a grown man's voice, "I ate the Jeri Jeri no Mi (Jelly Jelly Fruit). I can turn my body into jello and it can regrow again."

Suddenly, the guys were surrounded by Green and Red Cloaks as they dashed to the scene of the explosion.

"COMMANDER DORU!" they saluted to the man.

"Commander?!" the guys gasped.

"If you're a commander, wouldn't that make you Rei's friend?" Luffy asked, confused, "Why are you attacking?"

"Hallo-hallo-hallo-hallo," Commande Doru laughed, "I've heard that you weren't that bright, Straw Hat, but I didn't realize it was that bad. Yes, I am a Commander but no, I am not Rei's friend."

"What are you doing here?" Franky demanded, recognizing his name from his chat with Rei back at the hospital, "Aren't you supposed to be super locked up in a cell?"

"I was," Doru said, "But the lovely and curvy Commander Mira let me out. You see, it was all part of Tarantula's plan."

"So you're working for the bug guy!" Luffy shouted, "Then I'm going to kick your ass!"

"JELLO TRAP!"

Globs of jelly started to come out of his body and it wrapped around Luffy's arm, slowly growing around the Straw Hat.

"LUFFY!" Franky cried as the Straw Hat struggled to get out of the mold.

"You shouldn't waste time, really," Doru said with a smile pointing towards Robin, "Soon, your friend here will suffocate in my trap and that old fool, Jeffrey is already on his way to Tarantula now."

_OLD MAN!_ Luffy thought, the jello surrounding him entirely, _I need to get out of here._

"Armament Haki," Luffy cried, hardening the fist that was stuck in Doru. He freed his hand pulled it back to his side but the jello around him grew around him immediately.

"Hallo-hallo-hallo-hallo," Commande Doru laughed, "My jello grows too fast for anyone to escape, Straw Hat Luffy."

"Commander Doru!" one of the Green Cloaks cried, "What do you need us to do?"

"The pirates here have attacked this fortress," Doru called out to them, looking at the Straw Hats with a smirk, "Arrest them."

Zoro suddenly jumped in between Luffy and Doru. "Franky, Brook, you guys take care of the Cloak guys."

He pulled out his three swords and readied himself, "I'll take care of him."

"Hallo-hallo-hallo-hallo," Doru laughed, "Swords don't work on me. I'm a man that can't be sliced! I grow back remember?"

"Then I'll just have to slice you up so much, you can't find the pieces," Zoro said with a menacing glare and fitted his sword between his teeth.


	39. The Risk of Life Haki

**** Zoro was dripping with sweat but Doru looked untouched. He had used most of his power moves already but everytime he sliced, Doru would just grow back. He was running out of time as Robin, the royal siblings, and even Luffy were running out of air, trapped in their individual jello molds. 

Behind him, Franky and Brook were having a pretty hard time fending off the Green and Red Cloaks and trying to keep them away from Luffy and Zoro. It would be an easy fight if it was one on one but because of the sheer number and the fact that the Green and Red Cloaks were users of Observational Haki, it made it harder to hit them directly. Not impossible, but harder.

“Hallo-hallo-hallo-hallo-hallo!” Doru laughed as Zoro slashed through his chest only to have it grow together again along with his black cloak, “Is that all you’ve got?”

Teme!, Zoro thought, Why isn’t he cutting? I’m using my Haki to slice through him! 

As if reading his mind, Doru laughed, “Hallo-hallo-hallo-hallo-hallo! I admit, your Armament Haki is quite strong, but it doesn’t compare to my Life Haki!” 

“What?” Zoro asked, clenching his swords harder, “You’re a Forbidden Haki user?!”

“Ahhh so you know what that is! You’re not as dumb as I thought you’d be!,” Commander Doru said with glee, “I can expedite my healing and shorten my life span a couple of years. Of course, normally that would be of a great risk but with Mira’s Transferable Haki, she can replenish my haki so I can re-extend my life! Hallo-hallo-hallo-hallo-hallo!”

“So there’s another Forbidden Haki user,” Zoro said, moving his swords in position, “So I guess, I’ll just have to keep cutting you until you run out of haki!”

“Then I guess we’re done playing,” Doru said putting a hand up, “JELLY BLOCK!” 

Zoro charged forward but suddenly a thick wall of jelly appeared between him and Doru. Zoro quickly pulled back, skidding to a stop inches before the wall. Any closer and he would’ve been stuck.

Robin’s eyes started to close. The prince and princess were also losing consciousness. Zoro looked back at Luffy, who was struggling for air. Zoro ran over to his captain with his swords. With a wave of his swords, part of the jelly near Luffy’s head fell off, freeing the front half of Luffy’s face. Before it could regrow, Luffy gasped for air.

“Luffy, stop playing around and find a way out of the jelly!” Zoro said running back towards Doru as the jelly started to covered over Luffy’s face again, “And go save Robin and the others!” 

“YOSH!” Luffy called back as the jelly closed in around him.

Zoro held up his two swords, crossing them in front of his chest, with his third sword in his mouth as he paused for a moment. “Oni Giri!”

With a charge forward, Zoro slashed through the jelly wall and made his way through before it could grow back and encase him. He looked at Doru with a cold, monstrous stare. 

“Hallo-hallo-hallo-hallo!” Doru laughed, “Yes, you are quite powerful but there’s no way you will defeat me and save your friends! Once Tarantula gets Jeffrey, the second deal will be made and he will be in control of this island!”

He charged forward landing a hard Armament Haki coated punch straight in Zoro's gut. It happened so fast Zoro did not have a chance to block. The punch was so strong it caused Zoro to spit out his sword and a few drops of blood as he fell to his feet.

“I don’t care about any deals,” Zoro growled, wiping the blood off of his chin. He stood back up on his feet and repositioned  his swords, “And I don’t care about this island.”

He placed he held his swords out to his sides and placed the third sword in his mouth. “All I care about is KICKING YOUR ASS!” 

“Hallo-hallo-hallo-hallo!” Doru laughed, “And what about your friends?” 

“Luffy is on it,” Zoro stated without looking back at his captain.

Suddenly, Luffy came bounding around the wall and towards Robin, the prince, and princess. 

“WHAT?!” Doru shouted, his eyes popping out of his head, “How did he get free?!”

Then Doru noticed the wobbling stomach of Luffy as he ran forward to save his crew member.

“WHAT?!” Doru cried, “HE ATE THE JELLY?!”

“It’s not very tasty,” Luffy said, disappointedly as he started chomping around the jelly of Robin, “You’re not very good.”

“IT’S NOT SUPPOSED TO BE FOOD!” Doru cried as Luffy had freed up Robin and was now working on the siblings. He lifted his hand up to shoot more jelly when suddenly his hand was sliced off.

“HEY!” Zoro shouted, “I’m your opponent!” 

Doru gritted his teeth and flung his cloak off to free his arms, which were now black from his Armament Haki and he lifted up his fists in front of him. “Don’t underestimate the power of a Beffi Fighter!” 

He charged forth and so did the swordsman. “Kokujo O Tatsumaki! (Great Dragon Twister)” Zoro cried, running forward past Doru, while dodging his fists.

A whirlwind started to swirl around Doru. 

“WHAT?!” he cried as the whirlwind engulfs him and sends him flying up in the air, with multiple cuts created all over his body. He tries to regrow his body but new cuts form immediately after.

Zoro didn’t look back even as his victim plummeted to the ground screaming.

“COMMANDER DORU!” the Green and Red cloaks cried, so shocked and stunned they had momentarily forgot they were fighting. 

Franky and Brook  turned to see what had stunned these soldiers and gasped at the sight. Doru, or at least who they thought was him, laid on the ground covered in cuts, in an old man’s body. His hair was white, his skin wrinkled, and he was gasping for air.

“You pushed yourself too hard,” Zoro said as he calmly walked away to help the now free and awake Prince Ellis to his feet as Luffy bit the last jelly off of Princess Mirabelle. 

“The risk of Life Haki,” Robin said sadly as she looked at the brittle doru.

“Mira will...Mira will…” Doru gasped, “Mira will save me and then I’ll come back for you.”

“Save your breath, old geezer,” Zoro said looking back with a red glare in his eye, “We’re done.”


	40. Usopp to the Rescue?!

“Hey, Usopp,” Nami whispered, they were crouched on the steps of the hidden stairway that linked the fortress and the castle along with Chopper and the queen, “What do you think is going on outside?”

Queen Adela sat with her upper body rested against Chopper. Even in his big muscular form, his fur was soft and comforting to the queen. 

“I-I-I don’t know,” Usopp whispered back. He had his slingshot aimed at the bottom of the steps. He prayed that Jeffrey was able to fight off whoever the attacker was so that he didn’t have to.

“Queen Adela,” Chopper whispered, “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine, Doctor Chopper,” the queen whispered back, “Thank you for taking such good care of me.”

She looked down the stairwell with fear in her heart, “I just hope everyone is okay.”

“CHOPPER! NAMI! USOPP!”

“L-L-Luffy?!” Usopp breathed with a sigh of relief, lowering his sniper. ““Luffy’s back! Which means Franky and Brook are probably with them!” 

“Hold it,” Nami said putting her hand out to prevent Usopp from rushing down the steps, “We don’t know if the enemy is still out there.”

“But if Luffy is out there,” Chopper said full of hope, “Then that means it’s safe then.”

“We can’t assume that and we don’t want to give away the entrance to this secret tunnel,” Nami said looking at the queen and Chopper and then finally at Usopp, “We’ll need someone to sneak out and take a look.” 

“Why do you have to look at me when you said that?” he said, his forehead starting to sweat.

“Because you’re a sniper!” Nami said giving him an encouraging smile, “You can attack them from a distance then run back if anything happens!”

“W-w-w-w-wait a minute, Nami!” Usopp protested as Nami started to drag him down the stairs, “Why can’t you use your Clima-Tact to do a mirage or something?”

“Because it’ll be too obvious when I create strings of Cool Balls!” Nami said straining a little as Usopp started to drag his feet, “Now will you just go?!”

“Thank you, Usopp-san. You are very brave,” Queen Adela said.

Usopp turned to look at the queen who was looking at him with big, hopeful doe eyes. He started to sweat harder. “O-o-o-o-of course! I am the brave Usopp! The bravest warrior of the ocean!” he said trying to sound confident, putting his hands on his hips and tilting his chin up.

“Great! So you can go!” Nami said pulling him down the last steps and pushing him out of the hidden doorway.

“NAMI!” he yelped but it was too late. 

When he turned around, Nami closed the secret door behind her and it slid into place making it look like it was part of the seamless wall of the fortress. They were in the middle of a long hallway that lead to the front. Usopp could start to hear distant yells of different people, a couple of explosions, and faint sounds of swords slashing.

_ Damn it!, _ he thought,  _ They’re still fighting. _

He inched across the wall towards the sounds of fighting.  _ I’ll just take a quick look. Luffy, Franky, and Brook are handling it. It’ll probably be done by the time I get there. _

He was only a few feet in and moving at a snail’s pace.  

“COMMANDER DORU!” someone shouted in the distance.

_ Commander?!  _ Usopp thought,  _ Maybe it’s a friend of Rei’s! He’s come to help!  _

He started to quicken his pace but not too much. He heard more fighting, explosions, and yelling. He gulped and remembered the look on the queen’s face. That look reminded him of Kaya’s, with her wide brown eyes whenever he told her the false tales of his adventures before he actually had adventures. He cursed silently to himself before sprinting forward down the hallway.  _ Damn it! I can do this! _

He skidded to a stop right before the hallway turned to face the front part of the fortress. The explosions and battle sounds were loud and clear now. Usopp gulped and he peaked his head around the corner.

“WHAT?!” he cried. 

The whole front of the fortress was missing. Robin, Luffy, Zoro, the prince, and the princess were inside the fortress and Luffy had an unnaturally large belly that was wobbling for some reason. Franky and Brook seem to be fighting off a combination of Red Cloaks and Green Cloaks and there seemed to be a really old man on the floor suffering from very deep cuts. Zoro’s swords were dripping with blood so Usopp assumed he was the cause of it.  _ But why would Zoro cut up a shriveled old guy?  _ Usopp thought.

Sensing that the major battle was over, otherwise Luffy and Zoro would be helping Franky and Brook fight, Usopp took a deep breath and rushed out from his hiding spot. He took a giant leap and landed right at the edge of the fortress opening, several feet behind the battling Franky and Brook.

“USOPP!” Luffy shouted with joy.

“USOPP?!” Franky and Brook asked turning around to see the sniper with his hands on his hips and his chin stuck upwards to the sky.

“YES! BEHOLD!” Usopp cried courageously, “I am here! The bravest warrior of the seas! The legendary hero is here to save you!”

“What?” Franky asked, “But we’re doing fine-”

“There are no time for tears!” Usopp interrupted, “Save it for later. When you cry tears of joy after I’ve rescued you!”

He took out a small green pod and placed it in his slingshot, aiming it straight in front of him. “MIDORI BOSHI: IVY TRAP!”

He sent it hurtling through the air, with Franky and Brook quickly jumping out of the way. Suddenly, long vines and leaves started to grow out of the ground. It grew around the Red Cloak and Green Cloak’s legs. Some even grew so high it snagged the ones falling in the air. 

“WOO!” Luffy shouted excitedly, “That’s so awesome!”

“Thank you, Usopp-san,” Brook said, “But we weren’t really in any danger.”

“NO NEED TO THANK ME!” Usopp shouted holding a thumbs up sign to Brook, “A hero does it because it is the right thing to do and not for the glory.”

“SO COOL!” Luffy shouted with tears in his eyes.

“But,” Zoro started to say and then gave up, “Hell. Let him have this moment…”

Robin giggled softly as she held Princess Mirabelle’s hand. “Everyone, we better get back to the castle!” 

“Why?” Luffy asked.

“IDIOT!” Zoro yelled, “Did you forget that they’ve taken Jeffrey?!” 

“Oh right! The old man!” Luffy said with an embarrassed laugh.

“That,” Robin agreed, “and also before they catch us.”

“What?” Luffy and Zoro asked.

Robin behind them and the citizens of the island were starting to gather in front of them.

“They attacked the fortress,” the crowd started to murmur amongst each other, “And they took down Commander Doru. They also fought against the Green and Red Cloaks.”

“DAMN YOU PIRATES!” one of the men yelled, “We’ll show you what happens when you mess with our island!” 

“WAIT LOOK! Isn’t that the prince and princess?” someone else cried.

“OH MY GOD! They’ve kidnapped them!” a woman gasped.

“PROTECT THE PRINCE AND PRINCESS!” 

They crowd started to rush towards them.

“WHAT?!” the Straw Hats cried.

“Wait, I thought we were saving the island!” Usopp said confused and backing away from the crowd.

“We are, but the island doesn’t know that!” Brook shouted, “WE NEED TO RUN!”

And so the Straw Hats, with Zoro carrying Princess Mirabelle, found themselves running away from an angry mob and how Usopp found himself back in the hidden stairwell with Nami, Chopper, and the queen.


	41. A Man of his Word

******REI & KING TANNENBAY (Back at the Castle)**

“What are you doing, Commander Mira?” cried Commander Salo, “You should be getting Tarantula!”

Rei had freed herself from Mira’s grip and had positioned herself in front of King Tannenbay, who was still seated at his throne. She faced the Prime Minister and Commander Mira with Commander Salo at the back.

“My dad is stronger than you think,” Rei said to the Prime Minister, “He won’t get caught.”

“DON’T BE SO CONFIDENT IN THAT LOUSY CHEF,” the Prime Minister shouted, whirling around, “HE MIGHT BE STRONG BUT HE’S NOT AS STRONG AS DORU.”

“Doru?!” The King gasped clenching his fist, “But how?!” 

“Food poisoning can be so troublesome~” The Prime Minister sang out, “Everyone running around trying to find the source~ But no one bothers to check in on the prisoners~”

“Mira let him out while she was down there,” Rei concluded, “She probably killed the other prisoner too.”

“That’s right,” Mira said as she sauntered over to the Prime Minister, “Doru couldn’t resist the offer I made for him. He’s quite in love with me, you know.” 

“I don’t know why,” Rei said bluntly, “I mean besides your physical appearance, which would fade over time, you have nothing else to offer.”

Mira’s head jerked back as if she was slapped in the face. 

“Mira?” Commander Salo whispered, “Mira and Doru? Both of you?” 

Mira smiled mischieviously and she turned towards Commander Salo, “Poor Salo. Always the last one to know.”

Commander Salo was a middle aged man with a pointed blonde goatee. Paired with his deeply sunken cheeks, it made his face look like a slim triangle. His body was an inverted triangle with boxy shoulders and a thin waist. He was oldest of the Commanders and the gentlest. He had commanded the Green Cloaks even before Rei was recruited but always respected her and the king’s decisions. He knew he was not that strong of a tactician so he always kept his opinions to himself unless asked.

“Tarantula,” Commander Salo said raising a sword to the Prime Minister, “I won’t let you get your way.”

“I’M NOT AFRAID OF YOU,” shouted the angry, twisted version of the Prime Minister. He raised his hands over his head. He was all set to strike when suddenly he was interrupted by the sound of someone clapping.

Everyone turned to see who it was that walked in so boldly through the castle lobby. The interrupter was a man with long, golden hair that was parted right in the middle. He walked coolly and calmly as the heels of his brightly polished black shoes clicked on the castle floor. His hands were stuck into the pockets of his white pants. He wore a bright red V-neck shirt, revealing a muscled chest, and around his shoulders hung the white coat with yellow epaulets and the words “JUSTICE” written in the back.

“Well, well, well,” he said continuing the slow clap as he took in the sight of the room, “What a great little show you all put on. I thought the entertainment was only down in the tournament but it seems it’s also in the castle.”

“Commodore Argus~,” the Prime Minister sang nervously and immediately waltzed over to the marine’s side. “What brings you here?~”

Rei’s fist clenched at her side but she did not move. Reacting now in the presence of a Navy official would cause dire consequences for the king and this island.

“This is a private meeting, Commodore,” King Tannenbay said as calmly as he could, “Would you mind telling me why you’re here?”

“I have a deal with your, ahem,  _ Prime Minister _ here”,” Commodore Argus said, raising an eyebrow as he said the title, “but it seems like he hasn’t fulfilled his end of the bargain so I thought I’d come and see what had happened.”

“But I have, Commodore~,” sang the Prime Minister rotating around the Commodore to block his path to the king, “You just have to be a little patient. The package will be here soooon~”

“So,” King Tannenbay said, ignoring the Prime Minister, “You’re the one he made the deal with.”

“Do you know about the deal?” the Commodore asked, feigning surprise. He took a breath and then shrugged his shoulders. “Well, it doesn’t matter if you do or not. The World Government is not happy with you, King Tannenbay.”

“So they plan to overthrow me?!” the king shouted at the Commodore.

“Temper,” the Commodore warned. He wagged his finger at the king, “And it was not our idea but your very own Prime Minister’s. He’s the one who came up to us with the deal and it just seemed like too good of an offer to pass up.”

He then turned to the Prime Minister and pointed a finger in his face, “BUT as I recall, we did say that if you did not deliver  _ the package _ , we would walk away and let you deal with this little ‘revolution’ of your own. The World Government will not help and will also deny any knowledge of the deal. Believe me, I’m a man of my word.”

The Prime Minister gulped.

“So the question is,” Commodore Argus said, putting up his arms as if he was actually weighing out the options,  “What should I do?”

“We already found the ships with 1000 pirates,” Rei said interjecting into the conversation, “So the deal is off.”

“That’s a shame,” Commodore Argus said frowning a bit as he digested the news. He quickly went back to a relaxed expression. “But what about the  _ other  _ package?” 

“He’s coming~” the Prime Minister sang, “I did get that part of our deal~”

“Then where is he?” Commodore Argus asked raising an eyebrow, “Where is ‘Seabird’ Jeffrey?”

“He’s gone.”

Everyone turned to look at the source of the voice. Rei, for the first time in her life, had lied. “He’s gone. He found about the deal and already fled the island.”

“THAT’S A LIE!” the angry face of the Prime Minister snarled out, “I HAVE HER FATHER! HE’S STILL ON THIS ISLAND!”

“Then where is he?” Commodore Argus asked.

_ Shit! _ the Prime Minister thought,  _ What the hell is Doru doing? He should be here by now! _

“I’ll take your silence to mean you don’t have him,” Commodore Argus said, “Well then, I guess I’ll just leave you to it.”

He bowed a little to the king. “Apologies, Your Majesty, on the interruption. I’ll...er...let you get back to sorting out your internal affairs.” 

Out of the corner of her eye, Rei saw something that made her heart stop beating. Gully Two was circling in the sky right by the castle which meant only one thing, her father was close by.

“COMMODORE ARGUS!” she cried rushing forward.

“Yes? What is it that you want?” he asked, surprised at the sudden interception of the young commander.

“If I give you a better deal, will you take it and leave immediately? Without taking anyone else?” she asked.

“Depends, if it’s good enough, yes,” Commodore Argus said thinking it over.

“And you’ll leave the king alone?” she asked.

“REI, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!” the king yelled.

“Now, now,” Commodore Argus said looking at the king, “This is now a private conversation. I want to hear the boy out.”

He turned back to Rei, “Yes. I’ll leave this island to do whatever it wants. Tell me more about what you’re offering.”

“What if I could give you someone who is not only linked to Jeffrey Cogan but also one of the Four Emperors?”  Rei asked.

“Depends on which one,” Commodore Argus replied with a poker face.

Rei took a deep breath. It was now or never, “‘Red-Haired’ Shanks.”

Commodore Argus’ eyes widened as if he received an early Christmas present.  _ I was already hoping to get a promotion to capture ‘Seabird’ Jeffrey but that old fart has been on the run for the last 20 years. If I get a Four Emperor, then I can definitely get that Vice Admiral title! _

“Fascinating...Who do you have in mind?”

“Would you take the deal?” Rei asked, her hand gripped at the chain weapons under her cloak out of habit. 

“Yes.”

Rei stuck out her gloved hand and the Commodore reached over and shook it. 

Rei ripped off her mask and pulled down her hood, revealing her flaming red hair. “I’m Cogan Reia, daughter of “Seabird’ Jeffrey and niece of “Red-Haired” Shanks.”

“Well now,” Commodore Argus said stepping back and examining Reia, “this is a surprise...Niece of a Four-Emperor. Yes, that is too good to pass up.”

“SHE’S NOT A PIRATE!” the king shouted from his throne shocked at what just transpired, “You can’t arrest her if she’s not a pirate!”

“I’M PART OF THE STRAW HATS!” Rei shouted back at the king, telling a second lie, “I JOINED THEIR CREW SECRETLY, WITHOUT YOU KNOWING, AND HAVE BEEN HIDING OUT HERE TO AVOID BEING CAUGHT!” 

She turned to look at Commodore Argus. “Pirate’s blood runs in my veins! I’m a criminal.”

“Straw Hats too?” Commodore Argus said gleefully, practically tasting his promotion.

_ What are you doing, Reia? _ The King thought in shock. _ Why are you doing this? He was just about to leave.  _ Then he saw her family pet gliding overhead and everything clicked into place. 

Jeffrey’s unconscious body, carried by four large men, appeared at the doorway. He was breathing hard and his face was heavily bruised. His body was encased by Doru’s jelly but he was still alive. They carried him pass his daughter who looked at him and then directly at the king.

Rei locked eyes with Commodore Argus, whose full attention was on her father. “A deal’s a deal,” she warned.

The commodore immediately snapped to attention and smiled oozingly at Rei. “I’m a man of my word,” he said, practically salivating on the lips.

Rei solemnly turned towards the king, her face calm but serious. “Protect my father.”

“Pleasure doing business with you, Miss Cogan,” Commodore Argus said.

The King watched in horror as she willingly took off her cloak, her belt and weapons, and then lifted her hands to be cuffed.

She had told him she had a plan but he wouldn’t like it. She was right. 


	42. The New Chef

“Luffy, are you sure about this?” Nami asked as they ran up the steps towards the castle.

The group was charging forward with the queen and her children, while downstairs a mob of angry Beffi citizens were looking for them in the abandoned fortress.

“We have no other choice, Nami-san,” Brook said, “We can’t stay here.”

“But Jeffrey-san…” Nami whispered hesitantly.

“They’ve got him now,” Luffy said, “And we need to get him back.” 

His belly was now back to normal as he digested Doru’s jello trap with his quick metabolism. It took all of Zoro’s willpower not to imagine what it tasted like and he felt a little bad for his captain...but only a little. 

“But how do you know he’s in the castle?” Usopp asked.

“I don’t,” Luffy said, “But Rei is there and so is the king.”

“And probably the bug guy too,” Zoro said with a grin, his bloodlust not satiated from his fight with Doru.

“Shouldn’t we have a plan?” Nami panted, starting to get a little out of breath from all the steps.

“OW! Nami, are you used to taking Rei’s super directions already?” Franky asked with a grin.

Nami was startled by his response. “N-n-no! Of course not! Although, it was rather nice to know what we were doing for a change.”

“And not running around in a panic,” Usopp added.

“And knowing what to look out for,” Nami finished.

Luffy looked back at the faces of his crewmember. His eyes rested on Zoro’s face last. His oldest crewmember sensed what Luffy was thinking and gave a nod, giving his permission.

“Shi-shi-shi-shi-shi!” Luffy laughed, “Then we better hurry up!” 

“Why?” Nami asked.

Luffy started to pick up speed, much to the dismay of Nami and Usopp. “So we can ask Rei to be our crew member again!”

* * *

Back in the Royal Kitchen, Sanji was royally pissed.  _ What kind of kitchen is this?!  _ he thought as he scrubbed his hundredth dirty dish that was piled in the sink.  _ I’ve been cleaning and trying to find a decent cooking tool to use and I haven’t even started cooking yet! _

Finally, he gave up.  _ I’ll have to tell the king that his breakfast is going to be delayed for a few hours _ , he thought as he puffed on his cigarette. He put his hands in his pockets and started to walk lazily into the long, brick hall, much to the surprise of a couple of Green Cloaks on guard.

“W-w-w-wait a minute!” they cried, “Who are you?!” 

_ Shit!,  _ Sanji thought to himself,  _ What do I do?! Time to play dumb. _ __   
  


“DON’T YOU KNOW WHO I AM?” Sanji shouted, pretending to be angry.

“Oy,” one of the Green Cloaks whispered, nudging his partner, “He just came out from the Royal Kitchen…”

The other Green Cloak gasped, “THEN HE MUST BE….”

Sanji immediately caught on and played along. “YES!” he cried with flames in his eyes, “I am the Royal Chef! The scariest chef in the world! Even the king doesn’t dare question me!!! What gives you the balls to ask me anything?!” 

“I-I-I-I’m so sorry!” the Green Cloaks cried, immediately going to the side to let Sanji through, “We’re new here. We just got promoted from the Red Cloaks and got assigned castle duty. We’re so sorry!”

“That’s better,” Sanji muttered to them.

_ Whew, that was close, _ he thought to himself as he walked down the hallway,  _ Now to find the king. I hope I don’t get lost, otherwise I’ll never hear the end of it from that shitty swordsman. _

He walked through the hallways, looking in and out of rooms. He found many bedrooms, a couple of libraries, some locked doors, but no sign of the king or of anyone else. He decided to look out from above to see if he can see anything from a bird’s eye view. He climbed out of a window and used his skywalk to jump up to the top of the Wall. He was also quite curious on how it looked on the Navy side of the island. 

Below him, he saw a little open-air stadium. It was small and looked like it held about a hundred people or so. He heard some cheering and yelling.  _ Must be their way of celebrating the day of the dead, _ he thought as he puffed on his cigarette and enjoyed the breeze.  

Towards the edge of the Wall was also a large intricate maze made of hedges and also a track and field.  _ I guess this is where they do their training, _ Sanji thought.

He then looked farther to the edge of the docks. Majority of it was empty except for 3-4 marine ships.  _ Not bad _ , he thought to himself,  _ We’ve ran away from more. Although, Franky would kill us if we even made a dent on the Sunny. _

Finally, he looked down along the castle roof to see if he can find any clues on where the king was. His eyes widened as he saw a Navy official walking with Rei in handcuffs across the courtyard to the lift. There were four men waiting in the lift for them. None of them were wearing Green Cloaks or marine uniforms but at the base of the Wall, directly below the lift, was a group of marines, waiting for their commanding officer.

_ REI-CHAN?!,  _ Sanji thought. His mouth fell open but he quickly shut it to catch his falling cigarette.  _ I need to follow her!  _

He rushed back into the castle and headed back in the direction he came from. He looked frantically around until finally he spotted what he was looking for.

“ROYAL CHEF!” the Green Cloaks cried, “What are you doing back?”

With two swift kicks, the Green Cloaks were knocked unconscious.

“Sorry,” Sanji said although he didn’t actually mean it. He dragged the bodies into one of the rooms and closed the door. Before he did that, he grabbed a cloak from one of the men and draped it over himself and he pulled the hood up over his eyes.

  
“Okay,” he said to himself, “Now to get to Rei-chan.”


	43. Captain's Orders

The sounds of many footsteps echoed around the halls as Prince Ellis and the Straw Hats made their way out of the fortress and through the castle.

"Make a left at the end!” Prince Ellis shouted as he directed the Straw Hats around.

Chopper was not with them. He had opted to watch over Queen Adela and Princess Mirabelle, who were resting safely in the king and queen’s bedroom. The rest of the Straw Hats were running with the prince to find the king, Rei, and hopefully, Jeffrey.

“Oy, Prince,” Zoro said following the 18 year old’s lead, “Are you sure you want to come?”

“This is my castle too. I have to defend it,” the prince said. He gripped his rapier-style sword on his left. He turned to give the older swordsman a smile, “Besides, you guys need a guide! You could get lost around here.”

“What did you say?” Zoro asked, narrowing his eyes suspiciously.

“I think he meant that for all of us,” Nami said shaking her head, “I doubt it was directed at you.”

Luffy laughed as he held tightly to his hat and turned the corner. The smile quickly left his lips as he, and the rest of his crew, took in the sight before them.

A very badly bruised Jeffrey lay on the ground surrounded by four men, who were armed and had battle scars up and down their body. King Tannenbay stood at his throne, his fists clenched to his side as he glared down at the steps below him. The target of his gaze was the Prime Minister, who reminded Luffy of a freed jack-in-the-box.

“Old man,” Luffy said softly as he looked at their beaten friend, who had gave them such a warm welcome just last night.

“Father-sama!,” Prince Ellis cried, drawing the attention of the room to him.

“E-E-ELLIS!” King Tannenbay shouted as soon as he saw his son, “What are you doing here? Go back! Where is your sister and mother?”

“They’re safe,” Prince Ellis said, “What is going on?”

“Oooh~” the Prime Minister sang as he looked at the group of newcomers, “I knew this day would come~ The Royal Family boldly working with pirates~”

“Shut up, Tarantula,” Commander Salo said bringing up his sword and facing the Prime Minister.

“T-T-Tarantula!” Prince Ellis gasped pulling out his sword, “ _You’re_ Tarantula?!”

  
That was all Luffy needed to hear. “OY! BUG GUY! I’M HERE TO KICK YOUR ASS!”

“I’d like to see you try!” an angered Prime Minister shouted back, spit flying out of his lips.

He turned to Commander Mira and gave her a nod, “Now!”

Mira smiled mischievously and directed her attention towards Commander Salo. She gave him a little wink. “Han’ei Control (Reflect Control)!”

Her body started to change to the Straw Hats’ amazement. She grew taller and her shoulders started to widen. Her face also started to change into a point, sprouting a beard at the end of her chin. When she was done, she was an exact mirror image of Commander Salo.

“MIRA!” The King shouted, “When did you eat a devil’s fruit?!”

“The many perks one gets when they are loyal to me~” The Prime Minister sang out proudly, “I gave Mira a Han’ei Han’ei no Mi (Reflect Reflect Fruit) as a present for her brilliant play on Doru.”

“So that’s Mira,” Zoro said under his breath, remembering how the jello guy had gushed about her. It reminded him of the sickening way a certain cook acted around females.

Mira (as Commander Salo) started to open her mouth and the real Commander Salo, to his horror, started to do the same if he had lost control of his own body. “GUARDS!” he shouted through Mira’s control.

A couple dozen Green Cloaks ran in almost immediately, ready to do their Commander’s bidding.

“Commander Salo?” the one in the front asked. The Green Cloaks were shocked that there were two Commander Salos standing in front of them.

“Don’t worry about the imposter! I’ll take care of him!.” Commander Salo shouted, unwillingly. “Kill the king and the Straw Hats. They’re working together and they’re going to destroy the island!”

Commander Salo fought hard to regain control of his voice and his body but all he could do was remain in locked eye contact with his impersonator. He couldn’t even blink.

“Don’t listen to him!” King Tannenbay ordered to his men, “Mira has him under her control with her devil fruit!”

“B-b-b-but,” the head of the Green Cloak stammered, “C-C-C-Commander Mira doesn’t have devil fruit powers.”

“The king has gone mad!” the Prime Minister yelled out, “He’s working with the Straw Hats. Even the prince is in on it!”

All eyes turned to the prince, who was standing among the Straw Hats with his sword pointed towards the Prime Minister. Indeed, it did not look good.

The Green Cloaks were torn. Half of them raised their weapons toward their king while the others pointed it at the Prime Minister. Why were their two leaders fighting? What was going on?

“LUFFY!” Nami suddenly gasped pointing in front of her.

The Straw Hats followed her gaze and saw the mask and cloak that Rei had left behind.  

“Oy! What happened to Rei?” Zoro demanded immediately.

“The Navy just took her,” The king said softly, his heart wracked with guilt, “There was nothing I could do.”

“WHAT?!” the Straw Hats cried.

“Why would they take her?” Usopp asked, “I thought the deal was for the pirates…”

“She admitted she was related to ‘Red Hair’ Shanks and then said she was part of your pirate crew,” the king answered, “She traded herself for her father.”

“Jeffrey?” Robin whispered.

She looked at the unconscious man and then she looked at the Prime Minister. Her experience with the Marines and the cruelty of the World Government made her understand the gravity of the situation.

“Hey guys,” Luffy said quietly to the group. He pulled his straw hat so that it lowered over his eyes and he had a serious expression on his face. “Did you hear that?”

His crew waited for the directions of their captain, even though they all knew what he was about to say.

Luffy looked up with determination as he started to loosen up his shoulders. “The Navy took our crew member. We need to get her back!”

“YOSH!” his crew yelled back, charging forward towards the group.


	44. Nami vs. Mira

The Straw Hats were making quite a scene in the castle lobby, the likes of which the king had never seen before. They each were fighting off multiple Green Cloaks with Robin guarding the unconscious body of Jeffrey. There were thunder clouds from Nami, mini missiles from Franky, and plants sprouting willy-nilly courtesy of Usopp. It was quite a mess. 

“I’ve got the bug guy!” Luffy said heading straight for the Prime Minister.

“Dieciséis Fleur!” Robin cried as arms sprouted out of the four men surrounding Jeffrey, “CLUTCH!” 

A sickening sound of bones breaking swept through the air as the other members of the team went about their own battles.

Swords clashed as Zoro fought off a powerful Green Cloak swordsman. The swordsman had a high level of Observation Haki so he was able to dodge most of the attacks, giving the green-haired swordsman a run for his money. 

Commander Salo and Commander Mira were still locked in place as if frozen in time. Slowly, Mira, posing as Salo, started to move her hand down to her side. Commander Salo had no choice but to do mirror her movements. Her hand gripped the sword that was the exact replica of the sword that hung on Commander Salo’s side. She lifted it up slowly, the blade pointing at her stomach. Much to Commander Salo’s horror, he did the same.

_ NO,  _ he shouted in his mind, unable to vocalize it in real life,  _ STOP!  _

Suddenly, Mira’s face changed back to hers but the rest of her body stayed as Salo’s. Salo started to feel the tears run down his face as he gained control of his head. 

“MIRA!” he shouted, finally finding his voice. 

She gave a wink and plunged the sword directly into her belly.  Both her and Commander Salo fell forward, with their swords sticking straight out of their backs. 

“M-M-M-M-Mira?” Salo whispered to his former comrade, “W-w-w-why? You’re willing to die for this man?”

“I won’t die,” Mira whispered, slowly getting up from her the floor. Her legs trembled as she got to her feet and she reached her hand out to the side. She caught the Green Cloak swordsman that was falling backwards as he dodged one of Zoro’s attacks. 

“TRANSFERABLE HAKI: RECHARGE!” Mira shouted as she put both her hands on the man’s shoulders. 

Zoro and Salo watched as suddenly the healthy swordsman started to shrivel and get older and older. The wounds on Mira’s body started to close up and the bleeding stopped. When Mira let go, she was back to her normal self, except for the cut in her dress where the sword went through.

“Another Forbidden Haki user,” Robin said softly, who was watching the scene unfold from a distance.

“I’ll take her,” Nami said stepping forward. She looked over at Zoro. “Go get Rei.”

“N-N-N-Nami,” Usopp gasped as he unleashed another one of his pop greens, “Are you sure? She looks pretty strong.”

“Go, before I change my mind,” Nami said as she swung her Clima-Tact in place.

“Thanks, Nami!” Zoro said running towards the door, “Guys, I’ll leave this to you!”

“Silly girl,” Mira laughed as she blew a kiss at Nami, “Don’t play with someone who is out of your league, honey.” 

“No, bitch,” Nami said pointing her weapon at Mira, “You’re out of mine.”

“We’ll see about that. I’d rather not change into a woman with a worse figure than mine,” Mira said with a sigh, “but I guess I have no choice.” 

Her eyes locked with Nami’s and she winked. “Han’ei Control (Reflect Control)!”

“NAMI, LOOK OUT!” Usopp shouted as Mira’s face started to change as well as her body. Even a copy of Nami’s Clima-Tact appeared in her hands as Mira made the full transformation.

“Silly, girl,” both Nami’s said at the same time to each other, “It’s so easy for me to kill you!” 

Mira lifted the Clima-Tact towards the real Nami and the real Nami did the same. Both Nami’s took a hard swing towards the other’s head. Mira braced herself for the heavy blow but instead she felt a gust of wind. To her horror, the Nami in front of her started to vaporize.

“MIRAGE TEMPO!” Nami cried from behind Mira as heat balls started to shoot out of her Clima-Tact.

“WHAT?” Mira shouted as she turned to look at the real Nami but it was too late. 

“Today’s forecast is mostly sunny with a slight cool air that might cause some mirages,” Nami said calmly as she walked away from Mira, “Along with a brief thunderstorm.”

Mira started to run towards Nami but a dark shadow loomed over her. She looked up just as the thunder struck right between the eyes.

Mira fell the ground, burnt to the bone and with smoke coming out of her mouth. Her hair was now frizzy from the electricity coursing through her. “You little…”, she wheezed.

She reached out towards Nami but instead caught the ankle of Brook, who happened to be passing by.

“Ah! Excuse me, Miss,” Brook said as he did not notice the fallen woman. “I did not see you there.”

“TRANSFERABLE HAKI: RECHARGE!” Mira shouted as she focused on getting the haki from Brook. 

Her eyes grew wide as she realized the truth.

“Oh, sorry again,” Brook said, “I don’t have much life haki to give as I’m already dead. Yohohohoho!”


	45. Luffy vs. Tarantula

**** “Mira!!!” called out the enraged Prime Minister as he watched the defeat of his right hand woman. The anger overwhelmed him so much that he saw nothing but red.

He looked at the King and the Straw Hat pirate, who were both ready to fight.

How  _ dare  _ they mess with his plan! He had been patiently waiting for the right moment for 15 years, ever since that little bitch killed his brother. It had been just a bonus to catch Jeffrey all those years ago but once news of his brother’s death reached him, it became all too personal. 

His plan had worked flawlessly from persuading Mira to join the Web Gang to finding a marine who was anxious enough to crawl up the Navy ladder. It had all fell into place. The last part to this well-constructed machine was Dr. Clayton, who would be able to help him grab the 1000 pirates. 

Even having his son secretly join the Web Gang was a welcomed addition. He figured Eto would be a good leak to Rei and it would send her off in the direction of the 1000 pirates and away from her father.  _ Yes,  _ he thought,  _ telling Eto his father was in danger was a smart move.   _ It was all going so well! 

Then it all fell to pieces because of something he didn’t anticipate, Jeffrey Cogan himself. He was a stronger fighter than Tarantula thought. The damn ex-pirate had delayed Doru just enough so that his stupid kid was able to slide in this new deal with the marine.  _ Damn her, _ he thought,  _ Damn her and her family!  _

“Enough is enough!” he yelled at King Tannenbay and Luffy. His face was turned completely into his angry form. There was no more singing happy side. “This ends now! I’ll show you the true meaning of my name and you will all run in fear of Tarantula!” 

Luffy and the King watched as Tarantula prepared his Armament Haki. The black armor started to encase his whole body and even his jester hat. His face, once painted with white, purple, and yellow make-up changed to the black hard armor too. His eyes shined red. 

“Why are you called Tarantula?” Luffy asked curiously, as he did not see the resemblance.

“Hrmmm,” Usopp said as he helped his captain with his puzzle, “Maybe because his hat is split into eight pieces?”

Indeed, his jester hat, now in a hard black Armament Shell, looked as though it was a black spider with his 8 legs.

_ That’s the dumbest reason I’ve ever heard, _ the Straw Hats thought to themselves with a drop of sweat on their forehead.

“That’s foolish,” King Tannenbay said as he activated his Armament Haki and it started to wrap around his body, “No one on this island can beat my Armament Haki!”

“Maybe not,” Tarantula taunted, lifting an arm towards Prince Ellis, “But what about your son?!”

“Ellis!” King Tannenbay gasped as thin little needles started to protrude out of Tarantula’s arm.

“SPIDER HAIR NEEDLE ATTACK!”

Suddenly the needles started to shoot towards Prince Ellis but he easily blocked at with his rapier sword, which was now also black from his Armament Haki.

“Don’t underestimate me,” Prince Ellis said gritting his teeth, “I am Prince Ellis, son of King Tannenbay, and I will protect this castle!”

Tarantula snarled at the prince and then looked around the room. “Protect this castle?! Try protecting this room!”

He put his forearms together against his chest and started to spin rapidly until he was just a black blur. Luffy looked around at his friends. “MINNA!” he cried, “HIDE!”

“SPIDER HAIR 360 ATTACK!” 

Needles armed with armament haki shot everywhere around the room. Luffy watched in horror as it struck the Green Cloaks still standing. He, himself, being able to avoid it using his Observational Haki. As he looked to his friends, he saw that the King had jumped from behind him and was now in front of Nami and Brook, blocking the incoming needles. Prince Ellis was in front of Robin, Usopp, and the unconscious Jeffrey swinging his sword in circles to block it for them as well. Franky had ducked behind a stone pillar, his metal shoulders protruded from the side but it seemed the needles just bounced off his metallic body.

“Mugiwara,” The King shouted as the needles continuously flew at him, “We’ll shield your friends. STOP TARANTULA!”

“Shi-shi-shi-shi-shi,” Luffy laughed, “I was already planning on doing that.” 

“GOMU GOMU NO PISTOL,” the rubber man cried as he pulled his arm back and blackened his fist. 

He released his arm and his punch through the air with a whistle. It knocked straight into Tarantula’s face and sent him flying across the floor.

“TEME!” Tarantula growled propping himself up slowly. 

A drop of blood came out of his lips and he licked it off. Two fangs started to grow out of his lips and venom dripped from it. He reared into his hind legs and made a powerful leap across the room towards Luffy.    
  


“SPIDER VENOM BITE!” 

Luffy avoided the attack by ducking to the side quickly. Tarantula chomped down to nothing but if the rubber man was a second too late, he would’ve gotten a big bite on his shoulder.

“GOMU GOMU NO GATLING!” Luffy shouted as his fists flew through the air pounding the former Prime Minister into the ground. 

Tarantula, still in his Armament Haki, reached out and caught Luffy’s fist and he held it firmly.

“YOU CAN NOT TAKE ME DOWN!” he screamed as needles started to come out of his body. These needles came together and melded into one another until thorns were covering the entirety of Tarantula.

Tarantula held on so tightly to Luffy’s to block him from escaping. Tarantula’s red eyes widened, crazed with the idea of destroying this pirate. “SPIDER HAIR ULTIMATE ATTACK: THORN ATTACK!”  

Thorns shot out from everywhere, some lodged into the castle wall and ceiling. The walls cracked and debris fell down from the roof causing dust to fly everywhere, impairing the vision of everyone in the room.

“LUFFY!” Nami cried as the thorns flew towards the captain.

“MUGIWARA!” The King shouted, too far to get to him in time.

Even with his goggles, Usopp couldn’t see through the thick dust. He was frozen in fear as he thought of all the gruesome possibilities that could lie ahead. Suddenly, a dark shadow loomed over him and he turned around. 

“WING WIND CLAP!” Jeffrey shouted, stretching his arms out to the side and bringing it together straight in front of him.

The force of his clap sent a shockwave through the room. It knocked all the Straw Hats to their feet. King Tannenbay and Prince Ellis managed to stay firm, rooting their feet using Armament Haki. It also sent a strong wind through the room and cleared the dust.

Much to everyone’s surprise, someone had jumped in between Luffy and Tarantula. He blocked the Straw Hat from the ongoing thorns with a very large iron shield. The shield was covered in Armament Haki and it was 6 feet tall. 

“Are you okay, ‘Straw Hat’ Luffy?” Captain Nero growled as he leaned against his shield, propping it up.

“N-N-N-Nero!” King Tannebay gasped.

“Hey! You’re the guy from before!” Luffy said excitedly, “What are you doing here?”

“I saw the hole in Fort Dixon so I took the staircase up to the castle to see you were safe, Your Highness,” the patrolmen captain answered, directing it to his king.

“H-H-H-How did you know about the secret staircase?” Usopp asked nervously, fearing that maybe he would let in the angry mob.

“I helped build it,” Nero said proudly, “Before I was a patrolman, I helped my father with the construction of the castle.”

“Chikusho!” Tarantula cursed as he tried to get him from the ground. His red eyes blazing, “How dare you…”

“Yosh!” Luffy said as he bit into his thumb, “GEAR THIRD!’

His fist inflated to a gigantic size, blackened from his haki. He stretched his fist as far back as he could. 

“GOMU GOMU NO….”, he screamed as he let the fist fly, “SLAP!!!!!”

His fist released and the giant palm of his hand placed flat on Nero’s giant shield, sandwiching poor Nero with the shield. Luffy slammed Nero and the shield downwards unto the ground. The shield fell hard on top of Tarantula.

“LUFFY!” Nami cried.

“NERO!” King Tannenbay cried.

“IDIOT! YOU KILLED THE GUY WHO WAS HELPING YOU!” Usopp cried.

“No,” came a grunt as Nero pushed Luffy’s hand up, “I’m okay.”

Tarantula, on the other hand, was not as he lay flattened from the sheer force of Luffy plus the weight of two Armament Haki coated weights.

“WHAT?!” the Straw Hats cried as Nero stood up unscathed.

King Tannenbay threw his head back and laughed, “Your Armament Haki could be as strong as mine!” 

“No, not even close, Your Majesty,” Captain Nero said humbly as he knelt on the ground in front of the king. “Apologies for not coming here sooner and protecting you.”

“Don’t apologize,” King Tannenbay said, as he rushed over and helped his loyal subject to his feet, “You had no idea.”

Usopp let out a sigh of relief until he saw Jeffrey, who was knelt next to the cloak and mask that Rei left behind. He held her belt in his fists and he was shaking. 

“Where’s my daughter?” he asked softly.

When nobody answered, his hands gripped his daughter’s belongings tighter. Jeffrey looked up, his eyes darkened with rage, and he bellowed to the king, “WHERE’S MY DAUGHTER?!”

Suddenly, Luffy’s hand was on his shoulder. The retired pirate looked up at the boy with black hair in a rubber hat. The boy smiled down at him. “Don’t worry. We're going to get her back.”

* * *

Meanwhile, during the start of Luffy and Tarantula’s fight, one of the Green Cloaks standing guard at the base of the Wall noticed that the man standing next to him had a puff of smoke coming out of his hood.

“Hey, are you a new recruit?” the Green Cloak next to him whispered.

“Yes,” the smoker said.

“You’re not supposed to smoke on duty. Put the cigarette out or you’ll get into trouble,” the Green Cloak warned but not unkindly.  _ Oh newbies,  _ he thought to himself,  _ They’re so helpless the first year. _

“I’ll do what I damn well want,” Sanji said from under his hood, his cigarette unmoving.

The senpai next to him rolled his eyes as he was used to the cocky attitude of new recruits but Sanji didn’t care. His eyes were fixated on the heavy stone door on the side of the wall where a group of Marines waited. He was sure this was where Rei would exit. 

_ Rei-chan _ , he thought to himself,  _ What the hell is taking you so long? _


	46. Zoro's Rescue Attempt

Rei never looked up during the entire way down to the base of the Wall. Her eyes were fixated at the handcuffs placed tightly on her wrists in front of her. She was dreading the look on people's faces when they escort her out into the open. _Would any of them recognize me?,_ she wondered, _What will they think when they know it's me?_

The people that she trained stopped seeing her as Reia once her mother died. The King announced that Reia had died along with her mother and she was re-enrolled into the academy a couple years later as Rei. She was long forgotten by then. During those two years, when she was out of school, the king had trained her personally.

"I can learn Linked Haki," 5 year old Rei had told the king stubbornly, "So I can be as fast as my mom."

"Linked Haki is not something you can learn! It's something you are born with," King Tannenbay had said, "So you'll need to learn how to be fast naturally."

"I'll force myself to awaken it!" Rei had shot back to the king, "I'm a genius. I'll figure out how!"

"Even if you do, you shouldn't use it!" the king had countered, "It is only used as a last resort. You need to be physically fast so you don't have to use Linked Haki."

Her training during her two years with the king were more grueling than the ten additional years she went through at the academy. He not only made her build up her strength and agility, he also worked on her mental skills as well. She had to do physical exercises while solving puzzles at the same time.

It definitely gave her a leg up when she re-enrolled. It skyrocketed her to the front of the class much to the dismay of some of her classmates and put her in the spotlight when recruitment day came. Of course, she never wanted to be a marine and she never could be, given her background, but that didn't stop people from giving a hard time while growing up.

But now she will be seen as a pirate. A criminal. The looks she'll get would be much worse than the looks she got growing up. There would be no respect. Just disgust.

Rei kept her eyes focused on her handcuffs and willed herself to not look up when the doors opened. She didn't even budge when she heard the sounds of metal clashing and mild swearing from a gruff voice in the elevator shaft before the door closed behind her. She was determined to keep her senses numb.

Zoro was furious. _If that Know It All just looked up just ONCE,_ he thought as he slashed through Tarantula's men, who guarded the elevator, _She'd realized I was here to save her and not walk out like an idiot!_

He had slid down the chains from the elevator shaft and cut his way into the elevator at the bottom, much to the surprise of the four men who were about to exit the lift. Zoro sighed as he sliced through the last man standing and kicked open the door that Rei had just exited.

"OY," he shouted as he busted through the door, "Where the hell do you think you're going, Know It All?!"

Rei, Commodore Argus, and his 50 marines turned around to look at the green-haired swordsman. He stood there with his two swords out, his third in his mouth, and his three earrings dangling in the wind. They all stood in silence for a moment. The marines were startled by the sudden outburst. The Commodore looked at him with confusion and amusement while his prisoner felt very differently. The look on Rei's face was pure rage.

"What the hell are _you_ doing here?!" she cried forgetting all the emotional control training that was pounded into her head from the king.

"Isn't it obvious?!" Zoro shouted back, "I'm saving you, of course! I thought you were a genius!"

"I _am_ a genius!" Rei shot back, "And I don't need saving!"

A slow clap from Commodore Argus interrupted the two bickering adults and they turned their attention to him.

"Well, well," he said, "Isn't this interesting? A pirate on the Navy side of the island…"

 _That idiot!,_ Sanji thought as he ripped off his cloak and ran towards his crewmember and his target, _At least he created a diversion._

He quickly ran past the Green Cloaks along the Wall and wove between the marines, who were still fixated on Zoro. He reached out and hooked Rei by the waist, pulling hard to his side.

"'Black Leg' Sanji!" she gasped as they ran past Zoro, "Let me go! My dad-"

"Your dad will be fine," Sanji said, "Luffy and the crew will take care of it."

"But-" she protested.

Suddenly a big axe fell in front of them, blocking the two from re-entering the elevator area. They turned around to see the source. It was one of the marines under Commodore Argus' command.

"'Pirate Hunter' Zoro _and_ 'Black Leg Sanji," Commodore Argus said with a grin, "Isn't this my lucky day?"

He walked over to them with his gloved hands rubbing together greedily, "I was expecting to get one Straw Hat but now I'm able to get three!"

Unfortunately, the three people in question were not paying attention to his speech.

"What the hell are you doing, you shitty seaweed?" Sanji snapped at the swordsman, "Making an entrance like that."

"Where the hell have _you_ been, Snail Brow?!" Zoro shouted back, "We've been fighting this whole damn time!"

"I was in the kitchen doing what Rei-chan told me to do!" Sanji bellowed in return.

"Did you cook anything?!" Zoro countered, "Because I didn't see any food when I was back up at the castle."

"What are you saying, Shitty Marimo?" Sanji yelled, balling up his fist, "Are you questioning my chef skills?!"

"Do you want to fight me?" Zoro shouted at the sight of Sanji's fist, pulling out his sword, "Because I'm ready to go when you are!"

"You have no idea how long I've been waiting for this!" Sanji yelled swinging his leg to attack Zoro.

Instantly, Rei appeared in between the two men and silently held up her handcuffed arms over her head. That seemed to do the trick as the both men noticed the heavy shackles placed around her wrists. Sanji's foot and Zoro's katana blade hovered just a few centimeters above the metal.

"If you're going to fight. At least, free me so I can defend myself," Rei said calmly. Her face was expressionless as she looked at Sanji and then she turned to the swordsman. She raised an eyebrow, "Is this how you usually save someone?"

Zoro felt his anger flare up again as he re-raised his sword. "You should be more grateful to your rescuers!" he snarled as he cut the handcuffs off of Rei in one swift moment.

"I'll thank you when we survive _that_ ," she said as she pointed ahead of her.

The two Straw Hats followed her gaze and saw what she was referring to. Commodore Argus' vein looked like it was about to burst from his forehead. Behind him stood his 50 men, who were armed and ready to charge. Even further back was a line of Green Cloaks, who were also ready to fight.

"Looks like we're going to have to fight our way through this," Zoro said with a grin.

"Oy!" Sanji called out. He pulled out the cigarette from his lips and pointed it at the leader of the marine group, "How are you going to put such heavy shackles on a delicate lady, you marine shit?"

"Don't be so cocky!" Commodore Argus shouted back, "You three Straw Hats are coming with me!"

"Know it All," Zoro said with his eyes fixed on the enemy ahead, "Are you sure you want to fight them? What about your duty as a commander?"

Rei turned towards the swordsman. Their eyes met and she cracked her first smile in a long, long time. It was small and almost unnoticeable but it was not missed by either of the Straw Hat pirates. "Didn't you hear him, Pirate Hunter? I'm a Straw Hat."

Zoro and Sanji were both taken aback by the sudden outburst of emotion. So much so for Zoro that he forgot to correct her that he was a _former_ Pirate Hunter.


	47. the Red Ghost

Rei wove in and out between Green Cloaks, knocking them unconscious with their own weapons. She figured the faster she can immobilize them, the less likely they’d get injured by the Straw Hats. Without her heavy belt and cloak, she could move at her top speed, which was exponentially faster than usual.

Her red hair waved behind her as she tore through the training grounds. Her red hair was the only thing that left a slight blur in the air so that it looked like the air was bleeding. Behind her, she heard the muffled sounds of Zoro and Sanji fighting off the marines. 

She wanted so badly to see how they were doing but she knew that the priority was to get the Green Cloaks out of the picture. She just prayed that the tournament happening in the stadium would not end early. The last thing they needed were more marines coming out along with even more Beffi Island fighters.

Little did she know, Zoro, Sanji, and the marines were fighting halfheartedly as they all were distracted by her. They were watching Rei’s jaw dropping display. People were just falling left and right with only a flash of red as a warning.

_ That’s how fast she can move? _  Zoro thought to himself, impressed by the girl’s athleticism but not letting it show on his face.

Sanji was not so subtle as he flailed about shouting, “Rei-chwan! You’re so cool!” 

“What are you guys doing?! Stop the pirates! They’re our prisoners!” Commodore Argus cried to his men.

Suddenly, a shot was fired. Both Zoro and Sanji turned to see a marine on the side, holding a smoking gun. It was pointed in the direction of the Green Cloaks. The marine, although shaking, held firmly onto the trigger.

  
“Damn it,” he said gritting his teeth and firing at random angles toward the Green Cloaks, “Just die, you red ghost.” 

“Rei-chan!” Sanji cried as he looked back at the Green Cloaks. 

Some of them had dodged the bullets using their Observation Haki but there were ones who weren’t so lucky. One of them was Rei.

She had a hand over her shoulder as blood dripped down from under her grip. She had accidentally ran into a bullet when she was avoiding pushing one of the Green Cloaks into it. She glared up at the marine with the itchy trigger finger. Her eyes gleamed with anger. “What do you think you’re doing? You’re going to hit the soldiers!”

The marine snarled as he reloaded his gun. “Doesn’t matter! The point is to get you, you filthy pirate!”

He had to take his eyes off of her to put the bullets into the gun but as soon as he did, she was by his side. 

“I’m here,” she said softly as she appeared so close behind him he could feel her breath on his neck, “Now what?”

He turned to aim the gun to her face, taking a step back for a better line of vision, but before he was able to pull the trigger, he was slashed in the chest and thrown back. Zoro knelt where the marine was standing and he looked up at Rei with his sword firmly clenched between his teeth.

“Oy,” he said as the red hair looked calmly back at him, “Be more careful.”

Suddenly, the marine, who was still flying through the air, was kicked into the ground harshly by Sanji.

“You shitty marine!” Sanji shouted as he stomped on the unconscious marine’s face, “If you left a scar on Rei-chan’s beautiful shoulder I’m going to make you wish you were never born!”

“Here,” Zoro said, standing up and giving Rei the black bandana usually tied on his arm, “Tie it around your shoulder to stop the bleeding.”

“Finish the marines before they harm any more Green Cloaks,” Rei said as she took the bandana. She directed the order at both Zoro and Sanji but she didn’t take her eyes off of the green swordsman. She tied the bandana quickly around her injury  and with that she ran back to the Green Cloaks to knock out the ones still standing.

“Aim for the Green Cloaks!” Commodore Argus shouted to his men, “I want those Straw Hats!”

The Green Cloaks were confused as they found themselves the target of both the marines and the pirates.

Rei’s eyes flashed with anger. She took the first weapon she could get her hands on from one of the unconscious Green Cloaks and charged towards the Commodore.

“Leave them out of this!” she cried as she flung a dagger at his head.

He had dodged her, showing that he was capable of  Observation Haki, but he wasn’t quick enough to avoid the blade completely. It grazed his right cheek and left a small but noticeable gash.

He clamped a gloved to his cheek and glowered at the red hair. “You little bitch.” 

“Poitrine!” Sanji shouted as he drove a hard kick right into the Commodore’s chest. 

He took a deep drag of his cigarette. “Watch your mouth when you’re talking to a lady,” he said after he let out a long stream of smoke.

He looked over at Zoro, who was busy fighting off a group of blade wielding marines. “Marimo, you and Rei-chan should fight the marines somewhere else, away from the Green Cloaks. I’ll deal with this clown.”

“Clown?” Commodore Argus shouted indignantly as he brushed back his long golden hair, “You’re one to talk with your funny eyebrows.”

“I know where to go,” Rei said as she grabbed Zoro’s arm and pulled him with her.

She was practically raised on this training ground so she knew the layout like the back of her hand. As a child, she would even sneak in after hours to get some practice. She could navigate it in complete darkness if she had to.

“Oy!” Zoro shouted, angry to be interrupted in a fight as he ran behind her, “Where are you taking me?”

“Just trust me!” Rei said as she headed towards the entrance of the maze. 

Zoro’s eyes widened as he realized where she was headed and so did Sanji’s, as he watched the pair.

“Rei-chan!” he called out, “You better hold onto that shitty swordsman tightly or else he’ll never make it out of there!”

“Shut up, Ero-cook!” Zoro shouted back, “Just focus on your fight!”

At the entrance of the maze was a metal platform with a big red button on it. Without hesitation, Rei slammed her hand onto the button before disappearing into the maze with Zoro. The marines followed closely behind.

Alarms rang out as Rei wove through the maze as if it was a casual run through the park. Her grip on Zoro’s muscled arm was tight but it started to loosen up after every turn. It was as if with every corner they rounded she felt more and more sure that Zoro would follow her.

“What’s with this maze?” he asked.

“It’s a training ground,” Rei said simply.

“Yes, I figured,” Zoro said trying not to lose his temper, “But what does it train? Your sense of direction?”

“Yes and how calmly you can think while being attacked,” Rei said.

“Being what?” Zoro asked right before a string of darts flew in between him and Rei. 

He had to pull his neck back quickly in order to not lose his only good eye. Rei rounded another corner and Zoro followed.

There were several shouts from the marines behind them as other types of traps started to unload around the maze.

“Oy, is it safe here?” Zoro asked as he followed Rei.

  
“Don’t worry,” Rei said and she looked back at him with a grin. “If you get lost, I’ll come save you.”


	48. Fun

She was laughing. To Zoro’s complete amazement and slight annoyance, the smug little Know It All was laughing!  _ I mean, it’s a nice laugh. Nothing wrong with it, _ he thought as he frowned in disapproval,  _ But this is just not the time! _

They wove in and out of the maze like a breeze. Rei knew exactly when to stop or jump to avoid a trap and turned each corner confidently.

The shouts and cries of the marines who followed them into the maze became fainter and more scattered as they got lost in the hedges.

“Oy!” Zoro called out to Rei, “Aren’t you having a bit too much fun with this?”

Instantly, Rei stopped in her tracks and her laugh cut short too. It was much more abrupt than the other times she’s stopped. It was such short notice that Zoro slammed into her. The impact knocked both of them to the ground.

“What is it?” Zoro said jumping back and holding onto his sword, “Is it a trap?”

Rei stayed sitting on the ground.

“Oy!” Zoro shouted to Rei, “Are you okay? What happened?”

He knelt down next to her and lowered his head to see her face. She was frozen in shock. Zoro started to shake her shoulders. He made sure not to grip too tightly on the shoulder where his bandana was tied. “Snap out of it! We need to go before the marines catch up with us!”

Rei finally moved and she tilted her head up to look at the worried swordsman. Her eyes were widened in amazement. “Fun,” she said in a whisper. 

“Huh?” Zoro asked tilting his head in confusion.

“I had fun,” Rei said as she broke into a giant smile, “THIS IS FUN!” 

She jumped up and threw her arms into the air. She cheered and laughed as she ran around Zoro in pure delight.

“What are you talking about?” Zoro asked but there was no answer from Rei. She was lost in her own little world.

“Fun?” she had asked her uncle in the Royal Kitchen during his latest visit.

“Yes,” Shanks replied repeating his question again, “What do you do for fun?”

She had no answer. 

He had looked at her pointedly and said what seemed to be the upteenth time that morning, “You should join the Straw Hats. They’ll be good for you.”

She was thoroughly annoyed at him and he knew it. Shanks sighed as he watched his niece start to walk out of the door. It was her attempt at ending the discussion. He shared a look with Jeffrey, who just shrugged and stayed out of the discussion.

Shanks grew more and more concerned about Rei with every visit. When her mother died, she was at the age where a child was supposed to develop dreams and hopes. Instead, she was tasked to grow stronger and that was the only goal she had in mind. 

He didn’t blame his sister for putting such a heavy burden on Rei. He understood where she was coming from and had made his peace with the decision but it still didn’t stop him from noticing that his niece had never smiled or laughed in front of him since her mother’s death.

“I’ll never join the Straw Hats,” she said to her uncle as she reached the door, “Stop asking me to.”

“Answer me this question,” he called out to her, “And I’ll never ask you again.”

She stopped, ready to answer anything her uncle threw her way. 

“What’s your favorite color?”

Zoro was convinced that Rei had lost her mind. She was laughing even harder than before and sometimes even doing somersaults as they continued down the maze.

“Hey, Pirate Hunter,” she said to him as she remained looking ahead.

“ _ Former  _ Pirate Hunter,” Zoro corrected.

“Is it always this fun with our crew?” she asked.

Her use of the possessive was not lost on Zoro and he cracked a small smile. “Yeah.” 

That caused Rei to laugh even harder. At this point, Zoro couldn’t put up a fight anymore. Her laughter had carried on too far for him not to get affected. He secretly hoped she would never look back at him to catch the smile now on his face. “Oy. Don’t let your guard down.”

As if on cue, three chains sprang out from different directions through the hedges. They blocked Rei and Zoro’s way and the smile left Zoro’s lips.

“See? You almost got caught in that trap!” he yelled to Rei, who was no longer laughing.

“This isn’t part of the maze,” Rei said softly.

“CHAIN SPEAR!” a male voice cried out from behind. 

They both jumped out of the way, avoiding another chain that was aimed for their backs. Zoro landed to the side while Rei stood balanced on top of the chain. They turned to look at the source.

A tall and muscular man stood behind them with chains shooting out from his bare chest.  He had shoulder length brown hair and the marine cap on top. He wore no shirt but he did have on the standard marine pants and boots.

Zoro grabbed his Wado Ichimonji and ran along the chain, slashing it into pieces. The chunks of chain fell the ground along with Rei, who landed on her feet. He charged towards the new attacker. “Teme!” 

“A Haki user, eh?” the assailant said with a smirk, “Have a taste of my Kusari Kusari no Mi (chain chain fruit). Chain spear!” 

“Watch out!” Rei cried as a new chain shot out from the guy’s chest.

Zoro coolly dodged it as he lept the to the other side of the maze track. 

Rei was back to her serious self now. Her mind was clear and her laughter gone. She took a deep breath and sidestepped just as another marine came out from the hedges and lunged for her.

This one was slightly shorter than the chain man and he had his black hair in a ponytail that stuck out the back of his marine cap.  She did another quick side step and managed to get behind him. He whirled around and he held up one of his hands. 

His fingers turned into sharp darts as flung them at Rei. “Digit Darts!”

“The Datsu Datsu no Mi? (Dart Dart fruit)” Rei gasped as she jumped out of the way.

He smirked, proud that she recognized his power. 

She heard a clash of metal as Zoro’s swords collided with chains but she couldn’t turn to watch. She was without a weapon and had to think fast to overpower the dart man.

Suddenly, the marine in the ponytail held up both his hands, darts replacing all 10 of his fingers. He sent them flying towards Rei, who jumped in the air. 

She used the first chains still suspended between the hedges as a jumping platform. She flipped over the marine, grabbing his wrists in the process, and landing on her feet. His elbows were now bent at the front with his hands pointing directly behind him, facing Rei.

“Damn it!” he cried as new darts sprouted through his hands. “DIGIT DARTS!”

Rei ducked her head and aimed the hands towards the chain man as the darts flew. “ZORO!” 

Zoro turned just in time to see what Rei was up to and he stepped out of the way as all ten darts hit the chain assailant, sending him flying back into a hedge.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Zoro shouted at Rei, “That could’ve hit me!”

“I warned you, didn’t I?” Rei said calmly back as he ran past her.

Zoro grabbing her wrists and pulled her along as they made their way to the other end of the maze. 

“Shouldn’t I lead the way?” Rei asked as she ran behind him.

“Just tell me when to turn!” Zoro growled back as he turned to look at her.

Their eyes met and she smiled at him, “Okay.” 

Suddenly, the smile left her lips and she pushed Zoro to the ground.

“What are you doing?” Zoro shouted angrily and then he stared in shock as as a chain shot through her chest. 

Blood dripped down the sides of her lips. The fun was over.


	49. Zoro's Cry & the King's Words

Sanji wasn’t sure what had happened. He was enjoying his cigarette, while standing on top of the twitching body of the badly beaten Commodore, and looking over at the maze when suddenly the maze was gone.

It didn’t disappear completely. The bottom of the hedges were still there but the tops and a couple of marine bodies suddenly flew through the air, badly shredded. Dust and leaves flew all around as it swirled up into the air.

_ What is going on? _ Sanji thought as he squinted his eyes to see farther into the maze or what was left of it.

His eyes started to focus on a dark figure running out of the dust storm with red lights in its eyes. His cigarette fell to the ground as he realized that the dark figure was Zoro and he was carrying a very bloody Rei in his arms.

Bodies of the marines fell around him as the leaves started to back down onto the ground but the swordsman never changed his path. 

Sanji finally felt the feeling back in his legs and he ran towards him. “What the hell happened to Rei-chan?!” 

Zoro didn’t call back with an angry retort as he usually did, which made Sanji’s hair stand up in the back of his neck. Something wasn’t right.

As he got closer, his eyes widened as he saw the state of Rei. The chain was still stuck through her chest. Zoro had cut away the end so that they could move freely but to remove the chain completely would be lethal. It was inches away from her heart. Zoro ran right past Sanji and towards the Wall. 

“Oy!” Sanji called, hurriedly changing directions as he ran after his friend, “OY! Answer me, Shitty Marimo!” 

Suddenly, as they were about to reach the Wall, they heard a commotion on the other side of the training grounds. Zoro ignored it and continued running but Sanji didn’t.

He turned and saw that the tournament was now over. Groups of marines and Green Cloaks alike were leaving the stadium. They stopped in their tracks when they spotted the bodies of the marines and Green Cloaks that laid strewn about. Their eyes turned to Zoro and Sanji. 

Finally Zoro broke his silence. “Take care of them. I need to take care of her.”

Sanji didn’t say a word as he changed his direction and ran towards the mob. 

Zoro ran up towards the Wall and he tried to figure out a way to get back up to the castle.  _ Shit _ , he thought as he looked down at Rei,  _ If only I could run in the air like that stupid love cook. _

He looked up to where the castle was and then along the Wall. He had no idea which way the elevator was and he was furious at himself.  He looked down back at Rei. Her blood was now dripping down his arms and he could feel her body get a little heavier. He spotted his bandana tied to her shoulder and that was the last straw.

“LUFFY! CHOPPER!” he cried up to the heavens, “SAVE HER! SAVE HER NOW!!!”

Up top, Chopper was tending to Jeffrey’s wounds in the throne room. The Green Cloaks, after a harsh lecture from both the king and the new Commander Nero, had an unconscious Mira and Tarantula in Sea Prism Stone handcuffs.  

Nami was the first to hear Zoro’s voice. “Did you guys hear that?”

“Hear what?” Luffy asked, as he loomed over Chopper.

“Luffy, you’re blocking the light,” Chopper said as he wrapped some gauze around Jeffrey’s arm.

“Shi-shi-shi-shi-shi. Sorry,” Luffy laughed as he walked away.

“LUFFY!” Zoro shouted again from below.

This time, Luffy heard him and he ran out to the courtyard. 

“Hey, Zoro!” Luffy shouted smiling and waving at his friend.

“IDIOT! PICK ME UP NOW!” Zoro cried.

That’s when the Straw Hat saw the body in Zoro’s arms. Immediately, his arms flew down towards his friend and it wrapped around Zoro’s waist.

Zoro held Rei tighter as they shot up to the top of the Wall and he ran towards Chopper, ignoring the other Straw Hats as they came running.

He knelt down towards Chopper and placed Rei on the floor without looking anyone in the eye. 

Jeffrey stared at his daughter and immediately grabbed the swordsman by the collar. He lifted him up so that they were face to face. Zoro kept his head down and towards Rei.

“What happened?!” Jeffrey screamed at the silent pirate, “Answer me! You were supposed to save her!”

He started to shake Zoro violently. Nami, Usopp, and Brooke came running over and tried to pry Jeffrey’s grip but Jeffrey shook them off easily and they were tossed onto the floor.

“Answer me!” he cried, “TELL ME WHAT HAPPENED!”

“Ocho Fleur!” Robin called as eight arms sprouted from Jeffrey’s arms and pushing him back away from Zoro. That seemed to do the trick and Zoro dropped to the floor next to Rei. He stayed there on the floor, unmoving, with his arm holding his upper body up. His angry glare never leaving Rei’s face as Chopper assessed his patient.

“That annoying Know It All,” he said softly, “She just  _ had  _ to go and jump in.” His voice got louder and louder as he continued to look at Rei. “I didn’t ask for her to protect me. I don’t need anyone to save me! She just had to prove that she was stronger and faster than me.”

His fists clenched as the blood started to pool and spread on the floor. “She couldn’t resist, could she? She just had to prove that she was a genius.”

He then suddenly set his eyes on the reindeer, “Chopper! You better save her! Make her better so I can kick her ass!” 

Chopper, who had remained stoic during the examination, avoided eye contact with Zoro. He had no idea how to break the news. Tears started to rush out of the young doctor’s eyes.

“No,” Zoro said to Chopper, “Stop crying, Chopper! You’re a doctor from Drum Island! You can save her!”

A big crash and some yells came out from the courtyard, drawing Nami and Usopp’s attention from the sad scene. They ran out to see the source of the commotion.

“SANJI!” Nami cried as they saw the blonde haired cook knock down a few marines.

“He’s down there by himself?!” Usopp shouted as he loaded his trusty slingshot.

“ENOUGH!” 

Everyone fell silent as the king walked slowly across the lobby and into the courtyard. His cries had rang out across the island and everyone, all the marines, the citizens, the Green Cloaks, stopped what they were doing to look up at the Wall.

The king stood there for a minute taking in his kingdom. On one side, marines and some of his precious citizens were in a heated brawl with a pirate that had helped save their future. On the other side, he had an angry mob looking for the same pirate and his crew members. Behind him, in his own home, lay the lives of those he held most dear and the one who saved all their lives, the one who gave them everything every day of her life, was dying on the floor.

He grabbed the transponder snail that sat on a platform at the end of the courtyard. It was time for his speech. It was the day of the dead after all.

“Today is the day,” he said looking out into the vast ocean before him, “When we celebrate life. When we take into account all that we have and be grateful for it. When we celebrate with the ones around us. The ones who stand beside us day after day.”

He took a deep breath and continue. “And today is also the day where we remember the ones who are no longer there. The ones who can no longer stand. The ones that we’ve lost.”

He looked back at his family and the Straw Hats before facing forward again. “We’ve all lost someone dear to us, whether it be from battle, from sickness, or just from pure tragedy. And today is the day that we honor their lives and we honor their sacrifices.”

He took in the sight of the island and he smiled down at his kingdom. “We are a fighting country. We fight so that others can live and achieve their dreams. We fight so that we can protect the ones we love.”

He took another deep breath. “But for today, I ask that we stop fighting. We put down our hatred, our weapons, and our tears as we focus on what’s important. Today, we celebrate because it is the Day of the Dead. It is the day where we live.”


	50. Zoro’s Mind and Chopper’s Choice

**** She was fading and she was fading fast. Zoro knew it. Her face looked almost serene and if there wasn’t so much blood or injury, one might think she was sleeping. It felt like any minute now she was going to wake up and calmly tell him that he was doing something wrong or explain something that seemed so obvious that it would make him feel like a fool for not knowing it himself.

He wanted to slap her.

He was so angry at her that he couldn’t even feel sad about the situation. It wasn’t that she called herself a genius. It wasn’t that she was most definitely smarter than him. In fact, it wasn’t even because she ended up saving him when it was supposed to be the other way around.

No, he was mad because she had finally called him by his name.

She hadn’t called him Pirate Hunter or even any other nickname. With his hair color, he knew she didn’t need to be a genius to think of something creative.

She had called him by his actual name while they were in the maze when she needed to get his attention. And she certainly did. She got his full attention. 

He stared at her expressionless face as she laid there motionless. That face was smiling just mere minutes ago. Actually, no, not smiling. She was laughing. She was running around being a silly girl and he was the only one around to see it. Now, all he wanted was to bring that smile back. To wake her up and hear that laugh again. Not because it made him happy but because he sensed that it was something that she needed to do more of. 

The king was talking now and was making some sort of announcement but Zoro didn’t hear it. He didn’t pay attention to any of it. 

He wanted to yell and shout at Rei and finally get a chance to speak his mind. Everytime he started to say something to her, she’d beat him to the punch. She always had to get in the last word. She didn’t even let him tell her he didn’t hate her! She had to go and apologize, proving that she wasn’t as arrogant as he said she was. The girl seemed to have a genuine talent of making him feel like an idiot. And he’s not an idiot.

Luffy was the idiot, with his stupid laugh and his reckless the behavior. Franky was also the idiot. Who in their right mind would be fueled by cola?! And don’t even get him started on Curly Brow and his love of the ladies. He was surrounded by idiots. 

But now, these idiots are looking at him with worried expressions on their faces. He hated how that look. He didn’t need their worry or their pity. It made him feel vulnerable and weak. He was anything but weak. He’s going to become the strongest swordsman in the world, damn it! 

When did he become the one that made everyone worry? When did he become the one that needed to be saved? 

It all boiled back down to her. She was the cause of this.  _ He _ was on a rescue mission to save  _ her _ ! How dare she flip that around? 

It was too much.

“HEY! KNOW IT ALL,” he finally screamed out, startling everyone in the castle lobby, “DON’T YOU DARE DIE ON ME.”

“Z-Z-Z-Zoro-san,” Brook said as he cautiously approached his friend but Sanji stuck his hand out to stop him.

King Tannenbay’s speech had succeeded on both sides stopping their fighting. The Green Cloaks had stopped fighting Sanji and helped the marines load their injured back on the ship. It took some convincing for the Navy to stop fighting but as the Green Cloaks outnumbered them, and their leader was unconscious, it wasn’t an argument worth having. On the pirates side, the mob had dispersed and everyone was back to celebrating and enjoying the festival. Both sides were at peace now.

The only place that wasn’t in a happy mood was in the castle, at the center of the island. 

The Straw Hats watched helplessly as Jeffrey cried by his daughter’s side and Zoro knelt there like a rag doll. They didn’t know what had happened and they didn’t care. All they knew was that one of their friends was dying and the other was breaking.

Usopp looked pleadingly at Chopper with tears in his eyes, only to be met with more tears in the doctor’s.

“Chopper!” Zoro yelled, causing the reindeer to jump, “You need to save her!”

“I can’t!” Chopper said, “It’s punctured through her lungs!” 

“You need to at least try!” Zoro shouted, genuinely furious for the first time at the young doctor.

“She’s lost too much blood,” Chopper said scrambling to think of some treatment, “We’ll need a blood transfusion. What’s her blood type?”

  
“F,” Jeffrey said softly.

“F?!” the Straw Hats cried.

“YOSH!” Luffy said throwing down his arm, “Give her some of my blood!” 

“Even if we did,” Chopper said as he checked her pulse, “She doesn’t have much life left in her.’” 

“I can save her,” came a quiet voice.

They turned towards the Queen and Princess Mirabelle, as they made their way to the castle lobby.

“Your Majesty!” Chopper cried, “What are you doing out of bed? You need rest!”

“Adela-chan,” Jeffrey whispered, “Are you sure?”

But it wasn’t Queen Adela that had said that. Princess Mirabelle left her mother’s side and cautiously approached Rei. She looked up at her mother for permission and the Queen solemnly nodded her head.

“Mirabelle!” Ellis cried rushing over this sister’s side, “What if you go overboard?”

“I need to try,” Mirabelle said, biting her lip, “She needs Life Haki.”

“You don’t have enough Haki to give! You’re not a fighter!” Ellis said as he tried to pull his sister back.

“Then use mine!” Zoro growled, startling the siblings.

He looked at the two of them, “I don’t know much about this Haki crap and how it works but you can use mine.”

“But-” Mirabelle started to argue but then Chopper interjected. He had an idea. 

“I don’t need all your Haki,” he said to Zoro, “But you’ll end up giving up some years off your lifespan.”

“Just do it!” Zoro snapped.

Chopper looked at Mirabelle, “If we give her just enough Haki to keep her heart beating, I can save her.” 

Mirabelle thought about it and her what she knew about Transferable Haki. It was possible to take it from this green haired swordsman but she didn’t know if she could do it. She then stared down at the person who was practically her sister and she thought about all the time she was there for her. 

Whenever Mirabelle burst into tears and Rei would be there. She wasn’t great at comforting her but she was always there. Never crying. 

This time, it was Mirabelle’s turn to stop crying. It was her time to be the Rei in the situation.

She looked back at the reindeer and nodded her head. “Okay.”


	51. Rei's Favorite Color

****Rei could hear the swordsman’s shouting in her sleep. She didn’t know what the cause of his anger was but she was too tired to figure it out. Her body started to feel numb and the environment around her got colder as well.

She tried to open her eyes and see what was going on but her mind wouldn’t let her. She was just too tired.

She felt weightless and heavy at the same time. Every once in awhile she could feel someone’s grip around her hand and it would only tighten every time she let out a breath of air. It was a strong grip but not painful.

It got colder and she started to feel less and less. She wondered if her dad would mind her sleeping in just this once.

The shouting started to fade and she felt a little relieved and sad at the same time. She now had some peace and quiet but she had gotten used to his yelling. She didn’t mind it but he should really try smiling more often. Her last thought as she slipped completely into the cold darkness was that he had a nice smile.

Her fingers were the first things that started to get warm. She wondered how long she had been asleep. Her body felt heavy and the air around her remained cold.

The warmth started to flow up her arm and through her chest. Yes, that was a little better.

Suddenly, everything turned green. She wasn’t sure what exactly “everything” was but whatever it was, it was green. She didn’t mind it though. It was a nice green. The soft dark green you find on a meadow as the sun is about to leave for the day. The color of seaweed.

It felt refreshing and calming at the same time. She wasn’t sure how she was able to feel a color but at the moment she felt safe.

 _I found a favorite color, Uncle Shanks,_ she thought with a smile.

* * *

 “Oy, Marimo!” Sanji said, nudging the sleeping swordsman, “She smiled.”

“Huh?” Zoro said waking up from his nap.

She had been sleeping in the castle for four days now. The Straw Hats were invited by the royal family to stay in the castle with her and Jeffrey. Most of them took him up on the offer, the first being Nami, but Franky decided that he was more comfortable on a ship so he had been going back to the Thousand Sunny every night.

Everyone who stayed behind had their own room but Zoro chose to stay in the same room as Rei. He sat in the farthest corner on a chair, with his feet propped up. Jeffrey was also always there.

He slept on a chair by the bed with his head resting at his daughter’s side. He would wake up every once in awhile when he felt she had made the slightest movement. Chopper had said that it would take awhile for her to wake up so they waited.

Sanji had come in to bring Zoro his breakfast. They were able to convince Jeffrey to leave the room to eat but Zoro refused to budge. Sanji sighed as he left the tray on a table, noticing the untouched one he left for dinner. He would scold the swordsman on wasting food but Zoro hadn’t been himself at all.

None of the Straw Hats knew what to do about their nakama so they came in every once in awhile to chat with Jeffrey and to check on Rei but they gave Zoro his space.

Sanji was about to leave the room when he turned to have one quick look at Rei. That’s when he noticed her smile.

“Wake up, you shitty marimo!” Sanji said a little louder as he kicked Zoro off his chair, “She smiled!”

Zoro looked over at Rei and saw that the love cook was right. She was still asleep but there was definitely a small smile on her lips. He started to make his way toward her but then realized he was on the floor. Then he remembered who put him there.

“Oy, Dartboard!” he snarled, grabbing Sanji by the lapels, “What’s the big idea?”

The cook blinked at him for a split second, as if this was the first time the swordsman had shown any hostility towards him. Then he quickly recovered and seized the swordsman’s shirt with just as much force. “What’s the point of you staying here if you’re going to sleep and not pay attention to Rei-chan, you jerk?” Sanji shouted back.

“I am paying attention, Curly Brow!” Zoro yelled, “I’m not the one sneaking in and out of the room like a creepy pervert.”

“I’m bringing you food, you shitty swordsman!” Sanji retorted, “It’s not like I’m here to do anything to beautiful Rei-chan!”

The rest of the Straw Hats started to enter the room and they stopped short at the sight of Sanji and Zoro at each other’s throats.

“Zoro!!!” Chopper cried with tears in his eyes as he sprang forward and hugged the legs of the angry man.

“Huh?” Zoro said confused at the reaction from the reindeer.

The rest of the crew ran over quickly, pinning Zoro and Sanji together cheek to cheek.

“Guys, what are you doing,” Zoro said as he tried to pry their arms away from him.

“Oh! I’m so glad you’re super back, Zoro-bro!” Franky cried with tears streaming under his sunglasses.

“Guys!” Sanji yelled as he was uncomfortable with the proximity between him and Zoro, “At least, let _me_ go. I’m not part of this.”

“You definitely made us worried, Zoro-san,” Brook said as he held onto both ends of his cane, trapping both Zoro and Sanji from getting out of the group hug.

“I’m glad to see your back up and walking around,” Jeffrey said as he and Gully Two made their way into the room.

“She smiled,” Zoro stated.

As the words left his mouth he realized how stupid he sounded and he scowled in response.

The other Straw Hats giggled to themselves until he shot his glare their way. They immediately tensed and put on their best attempt at a poker face.

“Hey, Zoro,” Luffy said as he looked up at his ill-tempered friend.

“What?” Zoro said.

“She’s going to be okay,” Luffy said with a smile, “And then she’s going to come with us!”

Zoro stared at his captain.

He heard her voice in his head and that moment in the maze flashed by him.

_“Is it always this fun with our crew?”_

After four days, Zoro finally cracked a smile. “Yeah.”


	52. the Straw Hats' Imagination

"Hey, guys?" Usopp asked.

They were sitting in Luffy's room, where they've been spending most of the time when they weren't eating or keeping Jeffrey company. Usopp sat on the floor with his arms folded across his chest while Chopper, Franky, and Luffy played a new game they called "In the Maze", where they guessed what had happened between Zoro and Rei.

Zoro refused to tell them and Sanji had no idea so they each had their own theories. They all agreed though that Luffy's theory was the worst and that there was no way Zoro stabbed Rei with a chain because she had stolen his lunch.

Everyone in the room paused what they were doing and glanced over at Usopp.

"I think we shouldn't tell Rei about how Zoro gave her his haki," Usopp said solemnly.

It was odd for their sniper to talk so seriously and not participate in their games so the Straw Hats considered his words with care.

"Why not?" Nami asked, "Wouldn't she want to know how she was saved?"

"Think about it," Usopp said, "How do you think she'd react if she knew she had a bounty hunter's haki in her?"

"But I thought her and Zoro are fine," Chopper said confused.

"It's one thing to be friends with someone," Usopp pointed out, "But to have his haki in you?"

They each imagined Rei's reaction and agreed that it wasn't worth the risk. Nami imagined a Zoro skewered in chains and Sanji imagined a heart broken Rei-chan weeping over the fact that the damn morimo's haki was running in her.

"Plus," Sanji said with some thought, "I don't think she'd want to know that Zoro and Luffy were there during her surgery."

Chopper had to move her into the castle's surgery room, which shocked all the Straw Hats that the royal family had that in the first place. As he operated on her, Mirabelle stood with Zoro, while Luffy gave blood on the side. Mirabelle, since she was a child, looked away from the blood and focused intently on Zoro's hands and transferring his haki. Zoro, on the other hand, never took his eyes off of Rei.

The Straw Hats nodded grimly. Yes, it was best if she didn't know.

"Chopper, how'd you know that transferring Zoro's haki would work?" Nami asked the reindeer.

"I didn't," Chopper said, "I read about it in the medical book you and Robin got me earlier yesterday. I wasn't sure if it would work but I took a risk."

"Whoa! Chopper, you're amazing!" Luffy said with stars in his eyes, "Being able to figure out all the haki stuff just like that."

"Stop it, you jerk! Saying stuff like that won't make me happy at all!" Chopper squealed in excitement.

"When do you think we should tell Zoro about this?" Nami asked, putting down the newspaper article she was reading.

It took a couple days but finally the newspaper reported on the events in Beffi Island.

"I'm super surprised they didn't say anything about Jeffrey-bro or Rei's real identity," Franky said with a frown.

"They won't admit that they failed to capture a pirate much less admit that they attempted to help overthrow King Tannenbay," Robin surmised.

"Yeah but to say that we helped the bug guy, when in reality it was the exact opposite…" Luffy said, scratching his head.

"It's fine. We're pirates. What did we expect?" Usopp said with a shrug, "They're always going to pin the blame on us."

"That's not what I'm talking about, though," Nami said pointing at the subject of her concern, "How do you think they're going to react when they find out Rei has a bounty on her head?"

There it was in big black letters: WANTED. Dead or Alive. 'Red Ghost' Rei. Bounty 60,000,000 Bellis. The picture on the announcement was of her in her mask and black cloak.

"I can't believe her bounty is super more than mine," Franky complained.

"She's the niece of a Yonko," Nami said, "And she used to help the Navy so she knows some of their secrets. What did you expect?"

"At least her real face is hidden," Robin said as she inspected the photo, "So that should keep her safe for a while."

"I'm surprised Jeffrey didn't burst into tears when he saw it," Usopp commented.

They had shown the old pirate the wanted poster when it first came in a few days ago and he didn't seem to mind it. In fact, he looked a little relieved to see it.

"Oy, what are you guys looking at?" Zoro called from the doorway.

Usopp shrieked and quickly grabbed it out of Robin's hands and hid it behind him. "N-n-n-n-nothing," he said as sweat rolled down all over his face.

"Zoro-san, how are you feeling?" Brook asked.

"I'm fine. Why do you guys keep asking me that?" Zoro said gruffly as he sat on the floor near Usopp.

He glanced over at Usopp and noticed that the sniper king seemed to be sweating even more.

"What are you hiding, Usopp?" he asked.

Usopp jumped a foot in the air. "Nothing!" he exclaimed a little too forcefully.

"Oh, I thought you were hiding Rei's bounty," Zoro said casually.

"WHAT?!" Usopp cried, "How'd you guess?"

"I'm not in idiot," Zoro snapped, "Besides I saw it when I walked into the room."

He took the paper from behind Usopp and examined it. After a few minutes, he crumpled it and tossed it to the side.

"What are you doing?!" Nami said as she scrambled to retrieve the paper.

"That changes nothing," Zoro said, "And there's no point looking at it."

He got up to his feet and he left the room. He was a couple of days overdue on his training and he wanted to make up for lost time.

The Straw Hats sat in silence for awhile. All of them looking at the door that their friend just closed behind him. He was always pretty serious but the last four days had taken his intensity to a whole new level. Ever since Rei smiled earlier that morning, it seemed he was starting to loosen up a little but he still wasn't quite there. They knew he needed some more time but that didn't stop them from worrying about him.

"He's right," Sanji said as he puffed on his cigarette by the window. "That poster doesn't change anything. Rei is still the niece of 'Red-Haired' Shanks. She still attacked several Navy officials and…"

He let out a slow stream of smoke before finishing his sentence, "And she's still coming with us once she wakes up."

"'Red Ghost' Rei," Chopper said out loud, "Such a cool nickname! I want a nickname too!"

"Are you still hurt about your 50 Bellis?" Usopp teased.

Chopper turned towards his friend with tears streaming down his eyes.

 _Oh my god, he is!_ Usopp thought in shock.

 _Low blow, Usopp,_ the rest of the Straw Hats thought.

Suddenly, Prince Ellis burst through the door. He was panting and out of breath. "R-R-R-R," he gasped.

"Prince Ellis?!" the Straw Hats cried.

"Rei is awake!" the prince shouted as he leaned against his knees to catch his breath. When he looked up, all the Straw Hats had already ran past him and he was alone in the room.


	53. Oni Giri

To Sanji's horror, Rei was eating Zoro's left overs when they got to the room. Her father and her were chatting, while she sat up in her bed, and she was taking bites out of the stale oni giri.

"Rei-chan!" he cried out in shock, "If you're hungry, I can make you something better! Something that will bring your energy up."

She looked up to see the Straw Hats piled up at the door. They had all tried to burst through at the same time, resulting in them getting entangled with each other's limbs and falling into the room with a loud crash. Only Robin, who had walked calmly behind them, stepped over the crowd unscathed.

"Rei," she said with a smile, "You look great! How are you feeling?"

"I feel okay," Rei said softly as she took another bite out of the rice ball, "I was a little hungry and I saw this so…"

"Rei-chan," Sanji pleaded with tears streaming down his eyes, "Don't eat the shitty swordsman's left-overs. I'll go cook something for you now."

"Oy, what happened to your policy of not wasting food?" Zoro said brusquely as he stepped over the crowd as well to enter the room.

"Shut up, marimo!" Sanji said as he raised his fist off of the ground, "I'll make you eat every last bite of that but I won't have poor Rei-chan suffer through your wastefulness!"

"Zoro," Usopp muffled from the bottom of the pile, "Where have you been? I thought you were here with Rei."

"I was out in the courtyard lifting weights," Zoro stated, "And then I came back here when the prince told me the news. He's getting the rest of his family now."

"And you didn't get lost?!" The Straw Hats asked shocked.

"Z-Z-Zoro," Rei stammered as she brushed a grain of rice off of her face, using that excuse to look away from him, "I didn't know this was yours. I'm sorry…"

For some reason she suddenly felt very embarrassed and self-conscious in the presence of the swordsman.

Chopper managed to squeeze out of the pile and he scurried over to Rei's side to check her vitals. "Having an appetite is good," he said with a smile, "It means you've recovered from the surgery."

"Surgery," Rei repeated as she felt the part of her chest where the chain went through.

She felt the bumps of the stitches and winced a little as the wound was still healing. Her flinch did not go unnoticed and Zoro's frown deepened.

She glanced back at Chopper and gave him a smile, "I guess I have you to thank for saving my life, Dr. Reindeer."

"It's not just me," Chopper said with a blush, "It's also Mirabelle, Luffy, and-"

"Chopper!" Usopp hissed as he leapt out of the pile and towards his friend, clamping a hand over his mouth, "Remember what we agreed on."

"Mirabelle and...Luffy?" Rei asked as she stared at the oni giri in her hand.

She didn't notice the commotion going on between Usopp and Chopper. The Straw Hats breathed a sigh of relief as they started to disentangle themselves and get back on their feet.

"Princess Mirabelle used her transferable haki," Jeffrey explained, "And Luffy gave you his blood."

He looked over at Zoro and then the Straw Hats. Every member behind Zoro started to sweat. They started to do a little gestural dance where they pointed at Zoro and either made an X with their arms or they put their fingers to their lips. _Don't say anything about Zoro_ , they prayed hoping Jeffrey would get the message.

"Mirabelle?" Rei asked shocked, "But how did she…?"

"She had been training hard," Prince Ellis said loudly as he walked into the room along with his mother and father, "To keep up with you."

"Is she okay? Is she hurt?" Rei asked as she looked over at the queen.

"She's fine. She's out training on the Navy side," Ellis said as he sat at the edge of the bed and gave Rei a big smile, "I think seeing you hurt made her realize how much stronger she needs to be."

He reached over and he held Rei's hand. "We're all going to get stronger to help protect you, Rei-Rei."

Rei nodded and she gave him a soft smile to let him know she was okay. She opened her mouth to speak when suddenly, someone beat her to the punch.

"Oy!" Zoro said as his hand fingered the hilt of his white katana, "You don't have to worry about that. She's coming with us."

 _Zoro's jealous!_ , the Straw Hats thought as their jaws dropped.

Rei looked over curiously at the swordsman and his scowling face. She paused for a moment contemplating his anger. She then held the half eaten oni giri towards him. "You don't have to be so angry. I already apologized for eating this. Here, you can have the rest."

 _She's so clueless!,_ the Straw Hats thought as they hung their heads in despair.

"Oh, if you're hungry," King Tannenbay said, "Then we should have a feast and celebrate your recovery!"

"FEAST! FEAST! FEAST!" Usopp, Luffy, and Chopper chanted as they did a little high kick dance.

"Rei, you're going with them?" Prince Ellis asked.

"If they'll still have me," Rei said as she looked over at the Straw Hats.

Each of them gave a big smile back. Franky gave two tiny thumbs up from the mechanical hands within his big hands.

"Shishishishishi," Luffy laughed, "You should've just agreed when I asked you the first time."

"Sorry, Captain Luffy," Rei said, matching his smile.

"Just call me Luffy."

Zoro's hold on his sword loosened. He walked over to his corner and sat back down in his usual seat. He folded his arms over his chest and let out a breath he had been holding for the last couple days.

"You can't just leave!" Prince Ellis interjected and he looked over at Jeffrey, "What about your father?"

She looked back at the prince. Her face was now back to her usual serious self. "Dad and I talked and it's for the best. The Navy already thinks I'm one of them and if I stay here, it's going to bring more trouble to you and your family."

Jeffrey nodded at his daughter, "And now that Tarantula's gang has been captured, I can now move freely about on the Pirate's side. I'm the least of Rei's worries. She's more wanted than I am now."

"He's right," Nami said. She held up the wanted poster up to show the room Rei's bounty.

Jeffrey burst into tears at the sight of the poster. He was trying so hard to put up a strong front too. He wasn't worried about his daughter's safety after he witnessed how much effort the Straw Hats put in to save his daughter. He was just sad because now it really was goodbye.

"Dad, it's going to be fine," Rei said and stiffly patted her dad on the back.

"Well, if there's going to be a feast, I might as well help cook!" Sanji said as he headed for the kitchen.

"Actually, we've hired a new cook. An actual chef," King Tannenbay said proudly, "So he can prepare the feast. He used to work for the pirate chef, 'Red Foot' Zeff, himself!"

"Don't tell me…" Sanji said with a gasp.

"His name is Bailey! Him and his son will come work in the kitchen now!" Queen Adela said as she put a gentle hand on Jeffrey's arm, "I hope you don't mind us firing you, Jeffrey-san."

Jeffrey let out a burst of laughter, "Not at all. It was about time. My cooking was awful."

Everyone in the room joined in on the laughter with Chopper, Usopp, and Luffy resuming their can-can dance while chanting "Feast! Feast! Feast!".

Rei looked over at the swordsman but his eyes were closed and his hands were at the back of his head. It was an odd time to take a nap but Rei didn't think much of it and returned her attention back to her father.

Zoro opened his eyes and looked quietly at Rei, who was smiling at the room. He shut his eyes again and returned back to his napping stance with a smile at the corner of his lips. Yes, it was a good time to celebrate.


	54. Rei's Debt

"This feels so nice!" Nami said as she splashed some of the hot water onto her shoulder.

The women were all in the castle's royal bath, having a relaxing soak before the feast. Chopper was allowed to come with them, to keep an eye on Rei's wounds. Both Sanji and Brook volunteered but they were met with multiple fists from Nami, Usopp, Jeffrey, and even King Tannenbay since Queen Adela and Princess Mirabelle had decided to join as well.

"Hey, Rei," Nami said slyly as she swam over to Rei, "What happened in the maze?"

The crew members had a bet on what really happened and Nami was eager to cash in on her winnings, as she was sure her theory was correct.

"You mean Zoro didn't tell you?" Rei asked.

She sat at the edge of the bath along the steps so that only her lower half was submerged in the water. She was bandaged all the way from her shoulders to her stomach.

"He's been sitting in your room ever since your surgery," Nami said exasperatedly, "He didn't tell us anything."

"In my room?" Rei said surprised, "Why would he do that?"

"He was worried about you, Rei," Robin said as she scrubbed Chopper's back, "We all were."

"Worried about me?" Rei repeated as she looked down at her lap, "Why would he be? I thought to him I'm just a know-it-all, who constantly gets in his way."

Nami started to say something but suddenly, Robin's hand emerged from her shoulder and put a finger to her lips. She looked over at her female nakama and Robin shook her head so Nami remained quiet.

"What do you think of him, Rei?" Robin asked instead.

Rei glanced over at the raven beauty. "I haven't really thought about it but...he seems to be angry at me all the time."

"That's just how he is," Nami said with a shrug, "He's hopeless."

Rei was solemn as she looked back down at her hands, "I wish I knew why he was so angry with me. I feel like I'm always doing something wrong in his eyes."

"Do you want him to like you?" Princess Mirabelle asked, her eyes lighting up.

Rei contemplated the question. "Yes," she said finally, "I want him to like me."

She meant as a friend but everyone else knew what she really meant, even if she, herself, didn't.

"Hey, Rei," Mirabelle said as she glanced over at Nami with a wink, "I saved your life."

Rei, caught off guard with the change of topic, shot a confused look at Mirabelle, "Yes. I guess you did."

"So you owe me," Mirabelle said, deepening her grin.

Rei started to sweat. "I guess I do…What do you want?"

"Oh, you know what I want," Mirabelle said as she started to laugh maniacally.

_This child is crazy_ , the adults thought to themselves as the child rubbed her hands in delight.

* * *

"I don't know what to do with my legs," Rei said stiffly as she stood in the hallway, blocking the other women from also advancing down the hallway to the banquet hall.

She was wearing a silky gold dress. The first dress she had ever worn in her life. The gold fabric enhanced the red in hair that Mirabelle, mercifully, let Rei keep as the long braid she was used to sporting. The dress was high up in the neckline, as to cover up the bandages, but low in the back.

Rei was highly uncomfortable while Mirabelle looked like she was in pure heaven. Mirabelle, herself, was wearing a long lacy dress with puffy sleeves.

"Are you sure I can wear this, Queen Adela?" Rei asked nervously, "I don't want my wounds to open up and get blood all over this.'

"It's okay, Rei," Queen Adela said gently as she gave Rei a hug from behind, "You'll be fine."

Rei turned to look back at Robin and Nami, who the queen also gave her dresses to.

Robin, wearing a black a-line dress that hugged her curves, gave Rei a reassuring smile while Nami, wearing a red dress with a deviously plunging neckline, gave her a gentle push forward.

"You'll be fine. Just walk normally," Nami said.

Rei put one foot in front of another but kept her legs straight. She walked down the corridor like a tin soldier.

"NOT LIKE THAT!" Nami shouted, startling Rei.

"I'm sorry," Rei said as she looked guiltily at Nami, "I just don't know what to do."

"Just do what they do," Princess Mirabelle said as pointed at Nami and Robin.

Suddenly, Nami was in a headlock with Rei's elbow at her neck. "Clutch!"

"STOP!" Nami cried right before she felt herself bend completely over, "That's not what she meant!"

Robin hid a little smile as she helped Nami back on her feet. She offered her arm to Rei. "Just walk with me and you'll be fine."

Rei nodded and took her arm, avoiding the death glares Nami shot at her. She took a deep breath and steeled her nerves. She was used to hiding behind her mask, which she secretly missed, so she focused entirely on keeping her face calm and blank.

When they entered the banquet hall, Sanji and Brook lost it.

The men were all seated around a large table that was covered with piles of food. King Tannenbay sat at the head of the table in the farthest corner with his son on one side and an empty seat, reserved for Queen Adela, at the other. Prince Ellis also had an empty seat next to him for Mirabelle.

"Nami-swannnnnnnn, you look so beautiful with that dress," Sanji cried as his nose bled at the sight of Nami's cleavage, "And Robin-chwannnnn, just what I expected from such a classy, sexy lady!"

He then twirled around to head towards Rei but he was suddenly blocked by Zoro's Shusui. Sanji looked down at the swordsman, who did not look up from drinking his sake.

"Quiet, Love Cook," Zoro said gruffly as he took a sip, "You're disturbing my drinking."

"Rei-chan," Brook started to say, "May I-"

Zoro's sudden glare towards the skeleton made him think twice about what he was about to say. "May I play a little song to celebrate your recovery?" Brook finished.

_Nice save, Brook!_ Usopp thought as he grabbed a plate of food before Luffy could take it.

"I don't know much about music," Rei said looking curiously at the skeleton, "So play whatever you like."

"Yohohohoho!" Brook laughed as he whipped out his violin, "A song for the pretty lady!"

Rei suddenly grabbed Brook by the jacket and pushed her face against his and hissed, "Compliment me again and I'll kill you!"

"Y-y-y-y-yes, Rei-san," Brook whimpered as he fell to the floor with fear.

Zoro hid a smile as he poured himself another drink. Rei, in fact, did look pretty but he wasn't about to tell her that. She already considered herself a genius. He didn't need to boost her ego any more than that.

"Ow! You look super uncomfortable, Rei," Franky said sensing Rei's nervousness, "Why'd you wear a dress?"

"Princess Mirabelle asked me to," Rei said stiffly as she sat down at the first empty seat in front of her, which happened to be next to Franky, "I'm not used to it. It feels weird."

Franky laughed, "Well, once you're on the ship, you super don't need to wear dresses."

"That's a relief," Rei said with a grateful smile, "Although, before we go, there's something we need to do."

"What?" Luffy said between mouthfuls.

"I'd like to visit Madame Cecilia before we set sail," Rei said to her new captain.

"Who?" Luffy asked, spitting out some chewed bits of food.

"DON'T TALK WITH YOUR MOUTHFUL, YOU IDIOT!" Nami yelled as she gave Luffy two solid lumps on the head and took the seat next to him.

"That's right! Luffy never got to meet Madame Cecilia," Robin said as she took the seat next to Zoro.

"That old hag?" Zoro said, raising an eyebrow, "What do you have to see her for?"

"I have my reasons," Rei said softly.

"Oh, Zoro," Usopp suddenly said as he smacked his fist into his hand, "That reminds me. Did you ever figure out what she was saying about you?"

"Chopper did mention something when we were in the hospital," Rei said as she glanced over at the swordsman, who avoided her gaze.

"I super forgot!" Franky said, "What did she say about Zoro?"

Zoro immediately stood up from his seat, pushing his chair so forcefully it made a loud grating sound against the floor. "It doesn't matter. Let's just all forget about it."

He repositioned his three swords at his side and stormed out of the banquet hall, with a bottle of sake in his hand.

Rei's eyes followed him and she stood up as well. "I'll go talk to him," she said as she hurried out.

"Where'd Zoro go?" Luffy said as he grabbed a large turkey leg and stuffed it into his face.

The rest of the Straw Hats and Jeffrey looked over at each other and then quickly rushed out of the room to see what would happen between the genius and the swordsman, leaving their captain alone with the feast as the royal family politely dined quietly at their end of the table.


	55. The Comfort in Silence

It was by far the most boring thing the Straw Hats had ever witnessed. Zoro sat at the edge of the courtyard, with his legs dangling over the side of the Wall, facing the ocean. He took swigs out of his bottle of sake ever so often but that was the only movement he made. Rei sat next to him, her legs over the edge as well.  Both sat in silence next to each other, while watching the moonlit waves come in and out below their feet.

It was a romantic scene for the first five minutes but then when it dragged onto thirty, it lost it's magic completely along with the Straw Hats' patience.

Luffy's stomach started to growl and then it became a domino affect amongst the spectating group. They all shared a glance before finally giving up and headed back to the banquet hall. Their hunger overpowered their interest on what would happen to their two hopeless nakama.

"They're gone now," Rei reported as she kept her face forward.

"Those fools," Zoro grunted as he lifted the bottle to his lips, "They never know when to leave me alone."

"I think they're just worried about you," Rei said.

"I'm fine. I have nothing for them to worry about," Zoro said, "Instead they're the ones who cause me to worry."

"What about me?" Rei asked.

"Huh?" Zoro asked, shooting a confused look at her. Her expression was blank as she looked out towards the sea. 

"Do you worry about me?" Rei asked again.

Zoro hesitated for awhile, trying to find the words. "Yes," he finally admitted, "But I worry about everyone. They're all idiots."

"But I'm a genius," Rei said, "So you shouldn't worry about me."

"You're a know-it-all," Zoro scoffed, "Who butts into people's business without asking."

"Why didn't you tell them about what happened in the maze?" Rei asked changing the subject suddenly.

For this question, Zoro didn't have a quick reply. He wasn't sure why he didn't tell the crew members, actually, but it just felt like something he wanted to keep to himself.

"It was none of their business," Zoro finally said.

"Are you ashamed that you got saved by me?" Rei asked.

That struck a nerve in the swordsman and he shot up to his feet. He glared down at the red head, who was unmoving both in her position and her demeanor. "I'm not embarrassed of anything! You're the one who decided to do something that stupid. You could've died! Do you know how reckless that was?!"

"There was no time for both of us to get out of the way," Rei said simply, "It was either you or me."

"Then why did you choose me?!" he shouted.

"Because I'm a genius," Rei said.

"STOP SAYING THAT!" Zoro yelled, feeling the anger heat up his body, "That's not a reason!"

"Yes, it is," Rei shot back. She took a deep breath and then finally turned to face the swordsman. Her calm, green eyes locked onto his darkened one, "I'm a genius but _only_ a genius."

There was a slight tension along the corner of her lips when she took in a breath. "Thinking fast and getting strong is all I know and it's the only thing I've been doing my entire life."

She turned back to look at the ocean. "You and your crew, you all have your dreams and goals but I don't. I don't have a dream. I don't even know what I want."

Her head lowered just slightly and so did her eyelids. "I saved you because you had more of a reason to live than me."

Zoro was speechless. _Damn it_ , he thought, _She's getting the last word in again!_

"That's the most idiotic thing I've ever heard!" Zoro growled, making Rei turn to look at him.

Rei's eyes widened as Zoro unloaded his anger on her. "You can't go on just saving and protecting everyone thinking your life is expendable! Think about how sad it would make your father if you had actually died! Think about how it'll affect the king, the queen, and everyone else!"

He clenched his fist and continued as he was far from done, "You said you are our friend but a friend wouldn't let their friends worry! What you did was stupid and selfish. How dare you save me! How dare you think your life is worth less than mine! How dare you be so arrogant!"

Now it was Rei's turn to be out of words. She slowly stood up until she was face to face with Zoro and even with the additional time she gave herself, she wasn't entirely sure of what to say to him.

"I'm...sorry," Rei said stiffly, "I didn't mean to make you worry."

"Shut up!" Zoro said, "I don't want your apology."

"Then what do you want?!" Rei shouted, her turn to be frustrated, "It seems like everything I do makes you angry. Everything I say, everything I do, it's all just annoying to you! I try to apologize but that doesn't seem to help! I don't know even if I _am_ your friend because it seems to me you don't even like me. Not even a little bit!"

Suddenly, Zoro's arm shot out and wrapped around her waist. He pulled her towards him and hugged her tightly. Rei was in shock as the swordsman leaned his head against her shoulder. He could feel her heart beating fast against his chest as he held her to him. She could feel his three earrings against her neck.

"I do...like you," he grunted, "I don't...I don't hate you."

Rei stood there frozen for a moment before her walls finally broke. Maybe it was the fact that she was still recovering from her injury or that she had been hanging tough for so many years, but whatever the reason, Rei's guard finally came down.

Much to Zoro's surprise, she looped her arms around his waist and hugged the swordsman back.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, "I'm an idiot."

"I know," he said.

They stayed that way for a long time without saying a word. Both of them finding comfort in each other's silence.


	56. Rei's Apologies

**"** I can walk. I'm injured not paralyzed," Rei stated as she gently pulled her arm back from her father's grasp.

"But," Jeffrey sobbed, "But you were so close to dying. There was so much blood and-"

"Dad," Rei said sternly, "Get a grip. Is this how you want mom to see you after all these years?"

They were standing outside of the cemetery. Jeffrey had combed his hair and slicked it back while clutching a bouquet of red flowers. Gully Two even wore a little bow tie for the occasion as he perched on his master's shoulder. The Straw Hats all stood against the outer walls of the cemetery as they watched their new member try to pull her father together.

Jeffrey inhaled and tried to suck in all his tears. Rei was right. Rosa-chan would not want to see him this way.

"Okay." His voice quivered ever so slightly, "I'm ready."

Rei pushed the gates open and led the way to her mother's grave. She knelt down in front of it and bowed her head as her father stood behind her. He was crushing the stems of the flowers but he didn't notice.

"Hey Mom," Rei said softly as she lifted her head, "We're here. I'm sorry we took so long."

She looked at the tombstone and she could feel a lump in her throat. She took a deep breath to get her emotions in check. She had a lot of things to say to her mother and crying was not part of her agenda. A confession was, though. 

"I know I could've visited you a lot sooner," Rei admitted, "But I was angry. All these years I was angry at myself for putting you and dad in danger. I was angry at the bounty hunters for targeting us."

She paused before finally saying something she had been hiding for all these years. "But mostly, I was angry at you."

Jeffrey was stunned as he looked at his daughter.

"I've replayed that day over and over again in my head," Rei said, "And it never made sense to me. You could've let dad fight. You could've waited for the king's men to come help. You could've done so many things and you would've still been alive. I thought what you did was thoughtless, stupid, and selfish."

Rei then put a hand to the bandages that wrapped around her torso. "But then I did something thoughtless, stupid, and selfish too." She let out a small laugh. "I guess I'm just like you."

She gave an apologetic smile as she continued. "I risked my life for someone I truly cared about. I did it knowing that I was going to die. There were probably a hundred other things I could've done to save him. But in that moment, there was no time to think and I went with my heart."

She stood up, dusted off her knees, and knelt closer to the tombstone as she placed her forehead against it. "It took a long time for me to understand but I get it now. I understand why you did what you did. Why you chose to trade your life for our safety."

She closed her eyes and thought about her mother's smile and the memories she had of Rosa that were beginning to fade. Memories that she had tried to block out as much as she could. "I'm sorry for being stubborn. I'm so sorry. I miss you so much."

Her voice caught in her throat as the lump returned and she clenched her fist.

"Rosa-chan," Jeffrey called out. Rei lifted her head to look back at her dad in surprise.

Jeffrey walked closer to the grave and placed the crumpled flowers in front of the tombstone. "I did my best raising Rei but it's obvious she still needs her mother."

He put his hands on his hips and he looked high up into the sky. "Your daughter is leaving soon," he shouted up into the heavens, "So you're going to have to watch over her. I did my part in taking care of her but now it's your turn."

Gully Two flew up from his shoulder and into the air. He cried out happily as he circled around the sky.

* * *

"Don't do it!" Madame Cecilia called again from behind her front door as the Straw Hats approached the gate to her cottage.

"We won't ruin your stupid garden, you old hag!" Zoro shouted back as he opened the gate to let all the Straw Hats in.

This was their last stop before heading to the Thousand Sunny. Jeffrey and Rei already said their goodbyes and her father have given such a big hug, Zoro could've sworn he heard some of Rei's bones cracking.

"I didn't mean that," Madame Cecilia shouted as she flung the door open. Her long silver hair flowed around her.

She pointed her finger at Rei, who was back in her mask and cloak, "I was talking to her. I know what you came here to do and I won't allow it."

The Straw Hats looked back at their newest member. She still hadn't told them what she wanted to come here for and they started to get a little nervous, as they knew that Rei and Madame Cecilia had never gotten along.

Suddenly, Rei fell to her knees. Zoro tried to catch her but she pushed his hand away and bowed her head to the ground.

"I'M SORRY!" she shouted out to the old woman as she kept her face on the floor, "You were right and I was wrong."

"Oh, shut up," Madame Cecilia said as she helped Rei back up to her feet, "There's really no need to apologize."

"You told me that I wasn't the Red Hair and I would be close to death if I continued to try," Rei said, "And you were right."

"No, I wasn't," Madame Cecilia snapped back as she felt more and more flustered, "I'm the one who owes you an apology. If you just kept your trap shut, I wouldn't had to apologize to you but now you did it! So now it's my turn. I'm sorry, okay?!"

"What?" Rei said confused, "I don't know what you mean."

"I was wrong. I don't know how but something about you has changed. Maybe your haki or something," Madame Cecilia said, as the rest of the Straw Hats looked nervously up at Zoro, "But it seems you managed to change your fate."

"So…," Usopp said, "The Red Hair is Rei?"

"That would make the King that she serves…," Robin started to say.

They all gasped and looked at the Straw Hat. "LUFFY!"

The subject of their attention was busy picking his nose and he looked at his crew members, "What?"

"So, I was wrong," Madame Cecilia said dismissively as she made her way back to her house.

"Ha! See? I was right. It's all bullshit," Zoro said, causing the old prophet to stop in her tracks.

She turned to look at Zoro and glared at him, "I was right about you, wasn't I?"

"What?" Zoro said as he gritted his teeth.

The old hag walked slowly over to the swordsman and sighed, "You're more of a meathead than I thought. You really don't get it, do you?"

She had to stand on her toes to be able to reach Zoro's ears. She whispered something to him that only he could hear. The Straw Hats watched as their swordsman face turned redder and redder until his face matched the color of Rei's hair.

Madame Cecilia gave a pointed look at Zoro and then at Rei before turning around and walking back into her cottage.

All of the Straw Hats jumped on Zoro.

"What did she say?" they shouted as they tried to wrestle the truth out of the swordsman, "Tell us!"

"Stop it!" Zoro yelled, "Get off of me!"

He spotted Rei and Robin standing on the side looking at the commotion. "Don't just stand there. Help me!"

Rei and Robin shared a look before they both burst into laughter.


	57. For the Love of Green

"Robin-chwannnnnn!" Sanji's voice cried out as he exited the kitchen, "Nami-swannnnn! Rei-chwannnnn! I made some delicious snacks for you!"

They were all back on the Thousand Sunny and had been out at sea for a couple days. everyone was settled back into their routine. Luffy, Chopper, and Usopp were busy inventing a new game that would inevitably destroy parts of the ship and earn them the wrath of both Franky and Nami. Brook was playing his violin while Robin was reading one of her new books.

Nami was in her room as she wanted to draw the map of Beffi Island. Sanji was busy in his kitchen cooking delicious meals and keeping an eye out for the Snack Thief Luffy.

Even Zoro was up on the observation deck lifting weights. The only difference now is that Rei was also training but she trained on the deck under the main mast, away from the lawn deck, as not to bother anyone.

Franky, while everyone was living in the castle, had managed to update the Thousand Sunny to accommodate Rei, from a small chess table added to the lawn deck to building some targets in the upper deck for Rei to use for training. Their newest member fit into the everyday life of the Straw Hats pirates easily.

She also was quite easy to live with in the girls' quarters as she brought very little onto the ship. She also slipped in and out of the room quietly at night as she slept the least amount among the crew members. It also didn't hurt for her to get on Nami's good side by bringing extra boxes of treasure, when she moved in.

"WOO! Snack time!" Luffy called as he raced over towards Sanji, who was holding a four tiered tray of sandwiches and pastries in one hand while carrying a hot teapot in the other.

"Stop it, idiot!" Sanji yelled as he planted a foot solidly in Luffy's face, "This is not for you. This is for the beautiful ladies of our ship."

"Compliment me again and I'll kill you," Rei said as she jumped down from the upper deck and took a sandwich from the tray.

Much to Zoro's disappointment, Rei no longer physically threatened Sanji. She had grown accustomed to the chef's compliments but she still said it out of habit.

"Thanks, Sanji-kun!" Nami said as she came out of the girls' quarters, "I wanted to take a little break anyways. Rei, can you come look at the map a little later to see if I'm missing anything?"

"Okay," Rei said as she sat quietly on the railing, her newfound favorite spot.

"Tea time really is the best time," Brook sighed as he poured himself a cup.

"Hey! That tea isn't for you!" Sanji barked.

"I'll take a cup," Robin said looking up from her book.

"You can take this one, Robin-san," Brook said as he handed her his cup, "Be careful. It's a little hot. AH! Although, I can't really feel it because I have no skin. YOHOHOHOHOHOHO!"

"Are there more sandwiches, Sanji?" Rei asked, pulling out a notebook she started to keep in her cloak.

"Yes, plenty for you, Rei-chan," Sanji said as he noticed that she was writing in her notebook, "Do you like these sandwiches?"

Robin had suggested to Rei to keep a list of things she liked and disliked to help get to know herself a little better so Rei did just that.

"Yes," Rei said with a smile, "What's in them?"

"It's my own special recipe," Sanji said with a proud smile, "Seaweed and tuna!"

"Seaweed and tuna," Rei repeated as she wrote it down on her LIKES list, right under "Oni Giri".

"What else is in that book, Rei?" Nami said with a mischievous grin as she tried to look over Rei's shoulders."

"Why do you want to look at it?" Rei asked confused.

"As a friend," Nami said, "I just want to know what my friend likes!"

"Oh, okay," Rei said showing Nami the book.

Rei saw Nami frown with disappointment. "Is it not a good list?"

"No, it's a good list," Nami sighed as she gave the book back to Rei.

"Oy, Nami," Usopp hissed as Nami walked over to his side, "What were you looking for?"

"Zoro's name," Nami said, "But it's not on there. I really did think they liked each other."

"Even if they do, Nami-san," Sanji said as he offered more sandwiches to her, "I don't know if they know it yet."

As if on cue, Zoro came down from the observation deck. He had his arms out of his coat so that it hung from his waist. He was topless and his muscles shown in the sunlight from the sweat he built up during his workout.

All eyes were on Rei and Zoro as the Straw Hats excitedly waited to see her reaction.

"What are you guys looking at?" Zoro growled as he roughly grabbed a sandwich from Sanji's tray and stuffed it into his mouth.

So not cool, they thought to themselves as they sighed with disappointment.

Robin, who had been observing all of this over the top of her book, decided to take matters into her own hands. She put down the book and rested her chin in her hand as she looked at Rei.

"Hey, Rei?" she asked coolly.

"Yes?" Rei said looking blankly back.

"Is there something that you really like?" she asked with a quick wink in the group's direction.

"Something that I really like?" Rei repeated.

"Something that makes you happier than anything else in the world," Robin said.

Rei frowned and she thought about when she felt the happiest in her life.

"Yes, there is," she said and she broke into a huge smile. Even Zoro looked up from his second sandwich to see what her answer was.

"I love green. I really love green."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story might be done but Rei's adventure with the Straw Hats is not over. You can follow her in the rest of the Cogan Reia series. R: Road to My Nakama follows Film Z and Green Heart follows canon arcs (starting from Punk Hazard).


End file.
